RAW Deal for Abu Qatal: A High-Ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Commander Liquidated in Jhelum, Pakistan
The Message is Clear: India is no longer a soft state, and those who conspire to harm it or its citizens will be hunted down, regardless of the safe havens they believe they hide in.
Abu Qatal, the Notorious Terrorist Meets his End
Abu Qatal, a high-ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and a key operative responsible for multiple deadly attacks on Indian soil, was eliminated in Jhelum, Pakistan on 15th March, the Ideas of March. Unknown assailants on motorcycles executed a precision strike, silencing one of the most dangerous figures in cross-border terrorism. His assassination, while officially unattributed, sends an unambiguous message: India is no longer a soft state, and those who conspire to harm it and its citizens will be hunted down, regardless of the safe havens they believe they hide in.
For years, Qatal enjoyed the full protection of Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex, operating with impunity under the shadow of the ISI. He was instrumental in planning, financing, and executing attacks that destabilized India’s security and inflicted countless civilian and military casualties. With his elimination, yet another Pakistani-backed terrorist has met the fate that awaits all those who conspire against India.
The Rise of Abu Qatal: LeT’s Chief Operational Commander
Abu Qatal, also known as Zia ur Rehman, was one of the most trusted lieutenants of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. As the chief operational commander of LeT, he orchestrated multiple terror strikes against India, using the Kotli launch pad in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as his base of operations. His deep knowledge of the Indian terrain, gained through previous incursions, made him an invaluable asset to Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism network.
Unlike many other handlers who operated from a distance, Qatal had the distinct advantage of having been physically present in India during his early years as a foot soldier for LeT. His firsthand knowledge of the Poonch-Rajouri belt allowed him to guide infiltrators with precision, ensuring that they could exploit local routes, evade Indian intelligence, and strike at will.
A Bloodstained Trail of Terror
a.) Rajouri and Reasi Attacks
Qatal was directly responsible for the Rajouri terror attack on January 1, 2023, where LeT operatives slaughtered innocent civilians in Dhangri village, followed by an IED blast that killed seven people, including two children. This attack was aimed at instilling fear among the minority Hindu population in Jammu & Kashmir, reinforcing Pakistan’s larger objective of ethnic cleansing and demographic change through terror.
Similarly, in June 2023, his operatives ambushed a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Jammu's Reasi district, killing nine and wounding 41 others. The attack on religious pilgrims was a calculated move to provoke communal unrest and sow discord within Indian society. However, instead of triggering division, it only strengthened India’s resolve to neutralize such threats decisively.
Indian Army Convoy Attack
b.) In April 2023, Qatal masterminded an attack on an Indian Army convoy in Poonch, killing five jawans of the Rashtriya Rifles. The attack, filmed and relayed to his handlers in Pakistan, demonstrated his ruthless efficiency in psychological warfare. His men deliberately targeted the convoy in a well-planned ambush, using grenade launchers and automatic rifles to maximize casualties before vanishing into the dense forests along the Line of Control.
c.) Drone-Delivered Death
Qatal was instrumental in modernizing LeT’s logistics by integrating drone-based arms drops into terror operations. His technological adaptations enabled cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives, and cash into India, fueling insurgency and violence. This use of drones to supply terror modules in Kashmir represented a significant shift in Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare strategy, one that Indian security forces had been actively countering through intensified surveillance and counter-drone operations.
The Assassination: A Calculated Strike
On March 15, 2025, Abu Qatal was traveling in Jhelum when unidentified gunmen intercepted his vehicle, opening fire with lethal precision. Qatal and his bodyguard were killed instantly, while the driver was left critically wounded. The attackers vanished into the shadows, leaving Pakistani authorities scrambling for answers. This was no ordinary assassination—it was an execution, meticulously planned and flawlessly executed (pun intended).
The RAW Factor: India’s Unrelenting Pursuit of Terrorists
While no official confirmation has been issued, the modus operandi of Qatal’s execution bears the hallmarks of a professional intelligence operation. Over the past few years, multiple high-profile Pakistani terror operatives have been systematically eliminated in similar fashion, signalling a paradigm shift in India’s counter-terrorism strategy.
India has long endured Pakistan’s duplicitous game—harbouring and arming terrorists while playing the victim on global platforms. But the era of restraint is over. Those who orchestrate, perpetrate, or conspire in terrorist attacks against India will find themselves relentlessly pursued, regardless of the geographical or political barriers they hide behind. The elimination of Abu Qatal is a testament to the doctrine of preemptive neutralization—strike before the enemy strikes.
Pakistan’s Dilemma: An Expendable Asset?
While fingers point towards Indian intelligence, one cannot rule out internal purges within Pakistan’s own security establishment. The Pakistani deep state has a history of eliminating assets who have outlived their utility or become liabilities in diplomatic maneuvering. With increasing global pressure to rein in terrorist groups, Islamabad might have deemed Qatal too radioactive to protect any longer.
Alternatively, internal power struggles between various terror factions operating under ISI’s umbrella could also be a factor. Rival factions within LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and even Pakistan’s own military-intelligence complex often engage in turf wars, resulting in targeted killings disguised as external interventions. In this case, however, the sheer precision of the execution suggests a far more capable hand at play.
Conclusion: No More Safe Havens
Abu Qatal’s elimination is not just a victory against one terrorist but a resounding declaration: India's enemies will not find safety, even within Pakistan. The doctrine of decisive action has replaced passive diplomacy, and as seen in recent events, those who shed Indian blood will pay with their own. Whether carried out by RAW or another entity, Qatal’s execution reaffirms that India is no longer a nation that tolerates terrorism—it is a nation that eradicates it.
Anti-India terrorists must beware—not just of the Ides of March1 but of every single day of the year and every moment of their lives. The era of safe havens is over, and no amount of protection from Pakistan’s state apparatus will be enough to shield them from the long arm of justice. Under the decisive and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has demonstrated an unyielding commitment to national security. From the surgical strikes in Balakot to intelligence-driven preemptive actions, there is nothing apologetic about India's approach to safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring the security of its citizens. Those who seek to harm India will meet the same fate as Abu Qatal—sooner rather than later.
Footnote: The Ides of March – A Warning from History
The phrase "Beware the Ides of March" originates from William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, where a soothsayer warns the Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar of impending doom. In the Roman calendar, the Ides referred to the middle of the month, with March 15 (Ides of March) being historically significant. On this day in 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators, including his once-trusted ally Brutus, in a conspiracy to prevent him from becoming a dictator. The phrase has since become synonymous with forewarnings of betrayal, danger, and violent ends.
In the context of Abu Qatal’s assassination on March 15, the reference to the Ides of March carries a symbolic weight, underscoring that those who engage in treachery and violence—especially against India—must fear not just one fateful day, but every day, as retribution can strike at any time.