Days ahead of Pahalgam attack, Lashkar commander called for bloodshed in J&K

India Today

23-04-2025

Just days ahead of the massacre in the resort town of Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists were killed, a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander called for jihad and bloodshed in Kashmir at a rally attended by several terrorist leaders. The rally was held on April 18 in Rawalkot's Khai Gala in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in memory of two LeT terrorists killed by the Indian forces.advertisementAddressing the gathering, LeT commander Abu Musa, who leads the so-called Jammu Kashmir United Movement (JKUM), referred to the abrogation of Article 370 and a bid to change the demography of Kashmir to call for attacks in the valley. In a viral video, verified by Indian intelligence agencies, Musa declared, "India removed Article 370 and 35A to change the demography. You deployed your 10 lakh army. You wanted to echo 'Ram Ram' in Pulwama, Poonch, Rajouri. Lashkar-e-Taiba accepts your challenge. Modi, inside your closed courtrooms, you passed your orders. But the battlefield belongs to the mujahideen. Try it, Inshallah, we will shower bullets, slit your necks, and honour the sacrifices of our martyrs."
The timing of the call to violence is significant, coming just days ahead of the Pahalgam massacre - one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on tourists in Kashmir in recent years.advertisementThe April 18 event was held as a "tribute conference" for two militants - Akif Haleem and Abdul Wahab - who were eliminated by Indian forces under the long-running Operation All-Out.Haleem was killed in Kupwara on March 17 by the 21st battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles. Wahab, affiliated with LeT and its shadow outfit PAFF (People's Anti-Fascist Front), was neutralised in an encounter in Sopore on April 24, 2024. Both belonged to the same family in PoK.Despite public assurances by the Awami Action Committee that no terror outfits would be involved, the gathering turned into a show of strength for LeT sympathisers. According to intelligence sources, multiple active LeT operatives were present on stage, openly celebrating the deaths of their "martyrs" and warning of more attacks to come.The rally in Khai Gala appeared to have logistical and on-ground security backing from Pakistani authorities. Abu Musa's rhetoric, along with the overt glorification of anti-India violence, has prompted concerns over renewed infiltration efforts ahead of summer when traditional infiltration routes through Kupwara, Poonch, and Rajouri are more navigable.Tune InMust Watch