Following the killing of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Qatal in Pakistan, defence experts suggest that LeT founder and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed could be the next high-profile target in the ongoing crackdown on terrorism.
Abu Qatal, nephew of Hafiz Saeed and a key LeT operative charged in 2023 Rajouri attack and 2024 Reasi attack, was shot dead when assailants opened fire on his vehicle on the Mangla-Jhelum Road in Pakistan. His armed guard was also killed in the Saturday night attack.
What experts said
Defence expert Hemant Mahajan termed Qatal’s killing a “significant blow” to LeT, noting it would create a leadership vacuum and potentially disrupt ground operations.
“While new operatives may replace those killed, LeT’s operational efficiency will be severely impacted,” news agency ANI quoted Hemant Mahagun as saying.
“It is a clear indication that enemies of our country will be targeted in due course and eliminated, ensuring fresh recruitment reduces in such organizations… Middle-level operatives are also not operatives, and this is why violence in Jammu and Kashmir has definitely gone down, and now the attacks of such organizations have become limited to attacking soft targets like women, children, Hindus in the valley or migrant workers,” he added.
However, defence expert Praful Bakshi offered a more cautious assessment. “Even eliminating ten Hafiz Saeeds won’t end terrorism,” he stated, emphasising the need for more comprehensive counterterrorism measures.
“I congratulate the security agencies for this milestone, but we cannot speak of it with laurels. We must not stop here… these terrorists are present in PoK and the adjoining area. Surgical strikes must be done, but until we occupy them, they will come up in 6 weeks again… Killing 200-300 makes no difference,” Bakshi told ANI.
Closing in on Hafiz Saeed?
Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdeva suggests that Qatal’s killing indicates intelligence agencies are getting closer to top LeT leadership, including Hafiz Saeed. He speculates that Saeed might seek additional security from the Pakistani army, though he’s already under their protection.
“Hafiz Saeed’s close aide was killed, which means those who are tracking them have reached quite close. It is said that those who live by the sword die by the sword, and Hafiz Saeed might as well have to face a similar fate. Abu Qatal was involved in a lot of attacks in Kashmir, Rajouri, Poonch, PoK,” Sachdeva told ANI.
China-Pakistan dynamic
The situation has reportedly strained China-Pakistan relations, with Beijing expressing dissatisfaction over Pakistan’s inability to secure the economic corridor from Baloch attacks.
“There have been indications that the Chinese have been unhappy with Pakistan’s inability to protect the corridor from the Balochi attack and they have warned that till all these elements are eliminated, China will not put any fresh investments along this corridor,” Mahajan told ANI.
