Lashkar-e-Taiba’s key terrorist Saifullah Khalid has been killed by unidentified assailants in Pakistan. The man was a major security concern for India who earlier operated his terrorist activities from Nepal and later took refuge in Pakistan and was living under the pseudonym ‘Razaullah’.
Saifullah Khalid has been linked to several major terror attacks in India. In 2006, he was involved in the plot to attack the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, in which the attackers came in an Ambassador car dressed in police uniform. In 2008, he organised the attack on the CRPF camp in Rampur, in which seven jawans were martyred. Additionally, he was involved in the 2005 firing at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, in which a professor died.
Khalid resided in Nepal for a long time, from where he operated terrorist activities in India. To hide his identity, he used several aliases, including Vinod Kumar. From Nepal, he managed an extensive network for Lashkar-e-Taiba. After his activities were detected by Indian intelligence agencies, he fled to Sindh province of Pakistan, where he reorganized his organization.
Khalid’s death is a significant development for the Indian security landscape. He was not only involved in past terror attacks but was also hatching future terror plans. However, it is important to note that the neutralisation of an individual has limited impact on the overall capability of terrorist organisations. Organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba still have many active operatives who engage in malicious activities against India. The challenge for India now will be to dismantle the remaining parts of this terrorist network.