Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 28: The killing of wanted terrorist operatives by unidentified gunmen continues unabated in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), with another self-styled commander of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) shot dead in the latest incident.
Sheikh Yousuf Afridi, an LeT commander, was gunned down by unknown assailants in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on April 27.
According to initial reports, the attackers fired multiple rounds at Afridi, leaving him no chance to escape. Afridi was considered a close associate of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and an important link in the outfit’s operations in the region. Investigators are treating the incident as a targeted killing.
With this, the number of terrorists eliminated by unknown gunmen in Pakistan and PoJK over the past four years has risen to around 30. Only one such target—LeT operative Amir Hamza, who was attacked earlier this month—has survived, according to available reports.
The latest killing adds to a growing pattern of targeted attacks on high-profile terrorists across Pakistan. In April, Amir Hamza, a founding member of LeT, was shot at by unidentified gunmen in Lahore but survived the attack.
Earlier, Masood Azhar’s elder brother, Muhammad Tahir Anwar, died under mysterious circumstances in Pakistan. Anwar was believed to be actively involved in the operations of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
In March last year, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi, a senior LeT operative and close aide of Hafiz Saeed, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan. He was allegedly linked to several terror activities, including attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials point out that such incidents have shown a noticeable rise since 2023, with multiple operatives linked to groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen being targeted in cities including Lahore, Karachi and other regions.
Security analysts believe the trend indicates a sustained pattern of targeted eliminations of individuals associated with terror networks, though the identities and motives of the assailants remain unclear.
Over the past few years, several high-profile figures linked to militant organisations—including operatives, financiers, and handlers—have been killed in similar attacks across Pakistan and PoJK, raising concerns within terror networks and security establishments alike. |
