Who is Saifullah Khalid? Top Lashkar commander and ‘mastermind’ of Pahalgam terror attack

Pahalgam Terror Attack: The terror attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow on April 22 has left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead, besides injuring several others.

Soon after the attack, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest in Kashmir in years.

"More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir. These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land," the TRF said in a statement circulated on social media.

Mint couldn't verify the claim by TRF.

The attack in Pahalgam – a popular tourist destination in South Kashmir's Anantnag district – was carried out on a day when US Vice President JD Vance was in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia. Modi cut short his visit and landed in Delhi on Wednesday morning.

Saifullah Kasuri – the 'mastermind'

Reports by India Today, The New Indian Express and The Times of India said LeT's top commander Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, is suspected to be one of the plotters. These reports attributed the information to an intelligence assessment. The role of two Rawalkot-based Lashkar commanders, one of whom is Abu Musa, is also under scrutiny, sources told The Times of India.

Some reports even called Kasuri the ‘mastermind’ behind the Pahalgam attack.

What is TRF?

The Resistance Front (TRF) is a new terrorist outfit that emerged in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Believed to be a proxy arm of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), TRF was formed to provide a localised face' to the militancy in Kashmir, according to reports.

Founded in October 2019, the group was led bySheikh Sajjad Gulas the Supreme Commander, with Basit Ahmed Dar serving as the Chief Operational Commander. The TRF was initially formed with cadres from Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT, according to reports.

The union government calls TRF a 'proxy' front for the Pakistan-based LeT.

TRF banned in 2023

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned TRF and all its manifestations and front organisations in January 2023. The MHA has declared them as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.

The TRF has had a role in majority of attacks on civilians, including Kashmiri Pandits and migrant workers as well as security forces in Kashmir, for the past many years.

Before the attack on tourists Pahalgam on Tuesday, TRF, the banned outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack at a construction site in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district, which killed a doctor and six migrant workers in October 2024.

Who is Saifullah Khalid?

Saifullah Khalid, or Saifullah Kasuri, is said to be the deputy chief of LeT. Kasuri is also said to have a connection with Hafiz Saeed, the LeT co-founder.

Two months before the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Khalid had reached Kanganpur in Punjab, Pakistan, where a large battalion of the Pakistan Army is based, according to reports, which Mint could not verify.

In one of the meetings held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khalid was heard gave inflammatory speeches against India. “I promise that today is February 2, 2025. We will try our best to capture Kashmir by February 2, 2026. In the coming days, our Mujahideen will intensify attacks" he is heard in one unverified speech.

Khalid is also the head of LeT’s Peshawar headquarters in Pakistan. He has reportedly served on Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD)’s Coordination Committee for Central Punjab Province. JuD, another name for LeT, was designated by the Department of State as an alias of LeT pursuant in April 2016, and was added to the United Nations Sanctions list as an alias of LeT in December 2008.

In the past, Khalid has publicly expressed frustration over Pakistan's strategic shift in Kashmir policy, particularly after India's 2019 abrogation of Article 370, according to many reports.

He even criticised the Pakistani government's decision to scale back LeT's operations in Kashmir, attributing it to escalating violence in regions like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

(With agency inputs)