The killings of dreaded terrorists operating from various parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) continue unabated. In the latest incident, one of the most wanted terrorists and a key operative of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Zia-ur-Rehman, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Jhelum area of Pakistan's Punjab province.
According to reports in Pakistani media, Zia-ur-Rehman, also known as Abu Qatal, was killed by unidentified assailants late on Saturday evening. His security guard was also shot dead in the attack.
The slain terrorist had been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Dhangri terror attack in the border district of Rajouri. A key operative of the banned LeT outfit, Abu Qatal was a trusted aide of the dreaded terrorist and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed.
As per Pakistani media reports, Abu Qatal was returning home after attending a meeting late on Saturday evening when he was ambushed and shot dead by unidentified gunmen. The attackers fired indiscriminately at the vehicle he was traveling in before managing to escape from the scene.
Involvement in Dreaded Terror Attacks in Rajouri and Reasi
The eliminated LeT terrorist, Abu Qatal, was involved in two major terror attacks in the Rajouri and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir in 2023 and 2024.
Qatal was a high-priority target for Indian security agencies, including the NIA and the Indian Army, due to his role in orchestrating these deadly attacks.
He masterminded the heinous twin terror attacks in Rajouri's Dhangri village on January 1 and 2, 2023. In these attacks, seven civilians, including two children, were killed, and several others were injured.
On January 1, four people were shot dead in the evening, while on the morning of January 2, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in the same area claimed the lives of two children and left several others injured. One of the injured later succumbed to his injuries at GMC Jammu. Among the victims were two real brothers and two minor children.
Abu Qatal also played a key role in the June 9, 2024, attack on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. The heinous terror attack, executed under his leadership, resulted in the deaths of nine pilgrims from Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The bus, carrying devotees to the revered Shiv Khori shrine, was ambushed by unidentified terrorists. The attack coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony and his council of ministers following the Lok Sabha elections.
NIA Had Already Filed a Chargesheet Against Abu Qatal
On February 26, 2024, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against five individuals, including Abu Qatal, in connection with the Dhangri terror attack.
Three of the five accused named in the chargesheet were identified as LeT handlers:
- Saifullah (alias Sajid Jutt, alias Ali, alias Habibullah, alias Numan, alias Langda, alias Noumi)
- Mohd Qasim
- Abu Qatal (alias Qatal Sindhi)
While Abu Qatal and Sajid Jutt were Pakistani nationals, Mohd Qasim had exfiltrated to Pakistan around 2002 and subsequently joined the LeT terror network.
The NIA investigation revealed that the trio orchestrated the recruitment and deployment of LeT terrorists from Pakistan to target innocent civilians, particularly from the minority community in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as security personnel. These attacks were carried out under the directions of these Pakistan-based handlers.
Saifullah, currently a high-ranking LeT commander, played a key role in planning and executing the conspiracy from Pakistan, along with the other two handlers. Mohd Qasim is presently a close associate of senior LeT commanders. Abu Qatal had infiltrated into India around 2002-03 and was actively operating in the Poonch-Rajouri region along with other terrorists.
