Abu Qatal, one of the most-wanted terrorists associated with Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was found murdered by unidentified assailants. Qatal was reportedly travelling with his security guard in the Jhelum area around 7 pm local time when unidentified gunmen opened fire. The attackers fired 15 to 20 rounds, killing Qatal and one of his guards instantly, while another guard was critically injured.
Abu Qatal , Lashkar-e-Taiba Leader, Killed In Pakistan
Why In News
- Abu Qatal, one of the most-wanted terrorists associated with Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was found murdered by unidentified assailants.
Who Killed Abu Qatal
- Qatal was reportedly travelling with his security guard in the Jhelum area around 7 pm local time when unidentified gunmen opened fire. The attackers fired 15 to 20 rounds, killing Qatal and one of his guards instantly, while another guard was critically injured. Qatal was reportedly involved in planning and executing several terror attacks in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also a close aide of the 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Abu Qatal, whose real name was Zia-ur-Rehman, was also known as Qatal Sindhi and was a top target for Indian security agencies.
Qatar Was Active In PoK
- According to media reports, Qatal oversaw LeT’s operations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the country’s Sindh province.
- His involvement in terror activities dates back to 2002-03, when he infiltrated India and operated in the Poonch-Rajouri region. Qatal was linked to multiple terror attacks in India, including the June 2024 Jammu bus attack, where terrorists ambushed a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims returning from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi, killing nine and injuring 41.
- He was also charged by India’s anti-terror National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his role in twin attacks in Jammu’s Rajouri, where terrorists opened fire on civilians on January 1, 2023, killing five people. The next day, an IED explosion killed two children in the same area. Qatal reportedly played key roles in setting up and monitoring LeT’s proxy outfits such as People’s Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF) and The Resistance Force (TRF). As LeT increasingly faced global sanctions, it created these two fronts to continue operations.
- Qatal was believed to be the mastermind of the January 2023 Rajouri attack. It involved the “heinous terror attack on civilians at village Dhangri, District Rajouri on 1st January 2023, followed by an IED blast the next day.” Seven innocent people, including two children, were killed and several others severely injured in the attacks. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had in February 2024 filed a chargesheet against five people, including three Pakistan-based handlers of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, in connection with January 2023 Rajouri attacks. Abu Qatal was one of them.
About Lashkar-e-Taiba
- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), founded in 1990 by Hafiz Saeed, has been responsible for multiple terrorist attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
- The group gained global infamy for its involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Saeed remains one of India’s most wanted terrorists.
