Who was Abu Qatal? Top Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and Hafiz Saeed's aide behind Rajouri attack killed in Pakistan

Abu Qatal was a nephew and close associate of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

A key operative of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one of its most wanted terrorists, Faisal Nadeem, alias Abu Qatal, was killed on Saturday night in the Dina area of Jhelum district in Pakistan's Punjab province, according to India Today.

The report states that Abu Qatal was under the protection of the Pakistan Army, with additional security provided by Lashkar-e-Taiba. He was shot dead by unidentified assailants around 7 pm, with the attackers firing 15 to 20 rounds at him.

Abu Qatal was the nephew and close associate of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Saeed had appointed Qatal as Lashkar-e-Taiba's Chief Operational Commander, giving him direct orders to carry out attacks in Kashmir.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had charge-sheeted Qatal in connection with the 2023 Dhangri terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, which resulted in the deaths of seven civilians. Thirteen others were injured when terrorists opened indiscriminate fire in Dangri village on January 1, 2023. The assailants also planted an improvised explosive device (IED), which exploded the following morning.

The NIA had charge-sheeted five individuals, including three Pakistan-based handlers of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, in the Rajouri attack case. According to the NIA, the attacks on Indian soil were carried out under the trio’s direction.

Abu Qatal played a key role in recruiting and deploying Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from across the border, targeting innocent civilians, particularly from the minority community in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as security personnel.

Qatal, known by several aliases, including Ali, Habibullah, Nouman, and Mohd Qasim, had been active in the Poonch-Rajouri region and entered India in 2002-03.