Abu Qatal, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative and one of India’s most wanted terrorists, has been shot dead in Pakistan, according to media reports. He was involved in major terror attacks, including the 2023 Rajouri attack and the 2024 Reasi bus attack.
Also known as Faisal Nadeem and Qatal Sindhi, he was killed late Saturday night in Jhelum town, Punjab, when unidentified gunmen attacked his convoy traveling from Mirpur to Dina. Another senior LeT leader, whose identity remains undisclosed, was seriously injured in the same incident and has been shifted to Rawalpindi for treatment. Reports suggest the injured figure could be either Saifullah Khalid, LeT’s foreign wing chief, or top commander Mansoor Sohrawardy, though no official confirmation has been provided.
Abu Qatal, originally named Zia-ur-Rehman, was a key figure in LeT’s terror network, managing operations in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Sindh. As Hafiz Saeed’s trusted handler, he oversaw LeT units in PoJK, ensuring operational coordination between its factions. He also controlled the Khuiratta Dett of LeT in Kotli district, PoJK, playing a crucial role in recruitment and cross-border infiltration.
A high-priority target for Indian security agencies, Qatal was directly involved in planning and executing terror attacks, including the June 9, 2024, Reasi bus attack targeting Hindu pilgrims and the January 1, 2023, Rajouri attack in Dhangri village. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had named him in its investigation, linking him to LeT’s recruitment and infiltration activities.
Qatal’s associates, including Riyaz Ahmed (alias Abu Qasim) and Hanzla Adnan, were also eliminated in Pakistan in 2023. He had previously infiltrated Jammu in the early 2000s before retreating to Pakistan in 2005, but continued to maintain a network of operatives in Poonch and Rajouri.
His sudden killing under mysterious circumstances has raised questions about internal rivalries within LeT or possible targeted operations against top terrorists operating from Pakistan.
