Indian media claims individual killed in occupied Kashmir ‘encounter’ was Pakistan Army trooper

Indian media outlets have alleged that a terrorist killed in an "encounter" in Occupied Kashmir's Korag area was linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and was a member of the Pakistan military. The individual identified by India's Asian News International as Mohammad Asif was born on March 7, 1980. Asif joined the Pakistan Army in 2000 as service number PA-3106947 and later retired as a Havildar.

In 2005, he was inducted into the Special Services Group and served with the 4 Commando "Yalgar" Battalion, being posted to Balochistan from 2006. During his time in Balochistan, Asif reportedly participated in approximately 10 operations against Baloch insurgents and was credited with 13 personal kills. The news report further stated that Asif was part of the security detail of former President Pervez Musharraf.

Additionally, the Indian Army's Chinar Corps, responsible for the Kashmir area of operations, echoed these claims. In May 2025, tensions between Pakistan and India escalated after an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which New Delhi falsely linked to Pakistan. Despite Pakistan's denial and call for a neutral investigation, India retaliated with deadly air strikes, leading to a series of tit-for-tat strikes between the two nations.

The conflict eventually ended with American intervention on May 10, resulting in a ceasefire. However, Indian media faced criticism for their role in fueling the war of words with inflammatory content. Pakistan denounced the persistent Indian propaganda campaign, deploring the focus on "weaponizing a false narrative" amid a regional crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.