The notorious Hafiz Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has reportedly gone underground. His sudden disappearance from public view follows the daylight assassination of a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, marking a significant escalation in the pressure on Pakistan’s terror networks.
Sheikh Moiz Mujahid, a key lieutenant and senior commander within Saeed’s organization, was fatally shot outside his home in Kasur by unidentified assailants who subsequently vanished without a trace. This incident has amplified fear within the terror group, with Saeed himself now believed to be in hiding.
This development occurs after substantial damage inflicted upon Lashkar-e-Taiba by India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May 2025. This operation involved precise airstrikes that decimated training camps and operational bases in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Mansehra. Intelligence confirmed the elimination of over 100 terrorists, including crucial leaders and trainers, along with the destruction of significant infrastructure and weapons caches.
The pattern of targeted killings has become undeniable. In the past seven months, four high-ranking Lashkar commanders have been systematically eliminated: Zia-ur-Rehman (March 16), Abu Qatal (May 7), Abu Saifullah Khalid (May 18), and Sheikh Moiz Mujahid (October 31). The surgical precision of these assassinations indicates a dedicated effort to decapitate the organization’s leadership.
Hafiz Saeed, who previously operated with a high degree of public visibility despite a $10 million bounty, is now living in fear. The dual threat from Indian counter-terrorism operations and the clandestine elimination of his commanders on Pakistani territory has forced him into complete secrecy. The architect of violence is now experiencing the very terror he perpetuated, finding himself the target of an unknown hunt.
