All 4 Lashkar terrorists in this viral pic now dead. How they were hunted down

Remember this viral photo of four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists that went viral after the Pahalgam attack last year. The four, standing together in combat gear with assault rifles in a forested area, became the face of Pakistan-backed terror in Kashmir. Today, the photograph carries a different meaning. With the killing of top LeT commander Hashim Moosa, also known as Fauji, on Tuesday, all four terrorists seen in the image are dead, gunned down in separate operations by the Army.

Apart from Moosa, the other three were identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat, Abu Talha, and Suleman Shah (alias Faisal Jatt) - an 'A' category commander of LeT. The terrorists were behind several major attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over the past couple of years, including the October 2024 Gagangir attack and the Pahalgam massacre, which left 25 tourists and a local dead.THE PHOTO THAT WENT VIRAL

The photograph surfaced widely after the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam carnage - the deadliest terror attack on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai massacre. It offered a rare glimpse of the men part of the Pakistan-linked Lashkar network operating across the Valley and the forested Pir Panjal region.

The picture also acquired significance after investigators later identified Suleman as one of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack.

While the source of the viral picture is not known, a report said it was recovered from the phone of Junaid Bhat, who was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Dachigam area in December 2024.

Following the Pahalgam attack, the Army launched one of its biggest counter-terror operations in Kashmir in recent years. One by one, the other three terrorists seen in the picture were hunted down and killed in separate encounters. The biggest catch was undoubtedly Moosa.

Junaid Bhat, a Lashkar commander from Kulgam, was the first to be killed in an encounter in the Dachigam forest area of Srinagar on December 3, 2024.

Bhat was behind the 2024 deadly attack near a tunnel construction site in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal district, in which seven civilians - a doctor and six labourers - were killed.

Bhat's death, however, did not end the group's operations. Other members remained active in the Valley and the Pir Panjal forests.OP MAHADEV: SULEMAN SHAH

The next major blow came weeks after the Pahalgam massacre attack, which was carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists Suleman, Habeeb Tahir, and Hamza Afghani.

For weeks, the terrorists evaded the security forces, moving under the cover of dense and rugged forests of Dachhigam. On the other hand, the Indian agencies ensured that all routes to escape to Pakistan were blocked.

A multi-agency operation, named Mahadev, was launched. Drones, remotely piloted aircraft, electro-optical sensors and other surveillance tools were extensively employed to track their movement.

On July 28, 2025, the forces zeroed in on their location in the Dachigam area. Eventually, all three 'butchers of Pahalgam' were killed.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Parliament, revealed that two AK-47 rifles and one M-4 carbine recovered from the terrorists were the same weapons used in the Pahalgam attack. The terrorists were also found with Pakistan-made chocolates.

The NIA said the trio were linked to multiple terror strikes, including the December 2023 attack on an Army convoy in Poonch that killed five soldiers. They were also behind the May 2024 ambush of an Air Force convoy and the firing on a bus carrying pilgrims returning from Shiv Khori in Reasi district.OP ASHDAR: ABU TALHA

The third terrorist to be killed in the photograph was Yasir, alias Abu Talha, a Pakistani national.

He was snuffed out during Operation Ashdar on September 6 in the higher reaches of Yusmarg in Budgam. An AK-series rifle and other war-like stores were recovered after the encounter.

The Lashkar commander was behind the 2024 Gagangir attack and the ambush of an army vehicle in the Bota Pathri area of Gulmarg on October 24, 2024. The Bota Pathri attack left four dead, including two soldiers.

Yasir was previously part of Hashim Moosa's LeT group. However, he reportedly left the group a year ago and began operating independently.

Only Moosa was left. His luck ran out on September 29.HASHIM MOOSA: THE LAST MAN STANDING

Hashim Moosa, alias Fauji, remained the last surviving member of the group in the viral photograph.

He was also the most wanted and feared among the group. A para-commando of Pakistan's Special Service Group (SSG), Moosa's military training helped him navigate the rugged terrain of the Pir Panjal region and evade security forces for nearly a year.

Moosa came under the radar of security forces during the investigation into the Pahalgam attack.

After Yasir's killing on September 6, the security forces continued searching for Moosa in the difficult Korag-Yusmarg belt. After locating his movements, the security forces launched Operation Korag.

That hunt finally ended on September 29. Moosa was killed during an encounter with the forces in the Palmaidan area. It marked the end of the last major surviving terrorist who had long instilled fear and dread across the Pir Panjal region.

With his death, the four terrorists seen together in the viral photograph have now been eliminated.- Ends