Forensic and digital evidence links Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Habibullah alias Sajid Jatt to multiple attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Pahalgam strike.
April 20, 2026: India’s most wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, Habibullah alias Saifullah Sajid Jatt, has been traced to Islamabad, with fresh intelligence linking him to several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Originally from Kasur in Pakistan’s Punjab province, he operated in the Valley between 2005 and 2007 under the alias Salim Langda, setting up a base in Kulgam and allegedly carrying out targeted killings. He later fled to Pakistan, where he is believed to have trained militants and risen within the ranks of Lashkar-e-Taiba under the leadership of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
After assuming a key operational role, he began coordinating attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the 2013 Hyderpora strike and the 2024 Reasi attack targeting pilgrims. Investigators say he used multiple aliases and maintained cross-border links to orchestrate violence. In the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, agencies uncovered crucial digital evidence, including WhatsApp messages containing coordinates of Baisaran Valley sent to an attacker. The National Investigation Agency confirmed that the number used was linked to Habibullah, while recovered devices were traced to locations in Karachi and Lahore.
Further findings revealed that responsibility for the attack was initially claimed by The Resistance Front, with IP data pointing to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Intelligence inputs indicate that Habibullah is currently operating from a residence in Islamabad’s Soan Garden, allegedly functioning as a Lashkar command centre alongside other operatives. The NIA has filed its first chargesheet and is expanding its probe into links with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. Officials say investigations are ongoing to map the full extent of the network and its cross-border operations.