Sheikh Yousuf Afridi, a commander of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been killed by unknown gunmen in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to initial reports, the attackers fired multiple rounds at Afridi, a close associate of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, leaving him no chance to escape.
As per the NDTV report, Sheikh Yousuf Afridi was regarded as a key figure in Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) operations across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, was reportedly killed by unknown gunmen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Investigators are treating his killing as a targeted assassination. The incident is the latest in a string of similar attacks on high-profile terrorists in Pakistan in recent months.
Last month, Amir Hamza, a founding member of LeT and a wanted terrorist, was targeted by an unidentified gunman outside a television station in Lahore. The 67-year-old survived the attack.
In March last year, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Jhelum, Pakistan. He was a close aide of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Qatal was allegedly the mastermind behind the June 2024 Reasi bus attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which nine pilgrims were killed and 33 others injured.
Such targeted killings of high-profile terrorists in Pakistan have become a noticeable pattern since 2023, when at least seven terrorists were eliminated over a span of seven months. In 2026 alone, at least 30 operatives linked to groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen have been killed by unknown gunmen in cities including Lahore, Karachi, and other parts of the country, as per NDTV report.
LeT plots proxy to evade India
According to a different IANS report, citing an Intelligence Bureau official, said that the strong Indian response to the Pahalgam attack put several terror groups under intense pressure.
According to the official, Pakistan’s ISI has instructed these groups to lie low for the time being, as Islamabad also seeks to improve its international image by keeping its terror proxies restrained, at least temporarily.
However, the official warned that Lashkar-e-Taiba is already working to create a new, more discreet proxy group for operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The outfit is actively identifying recruits, with a strong emphasis on local Kashmiris. It is also looking to rope in Kashmiris who had moved to Pakistan several years ago.
LeT plans to keep the new proxy’s funding channels distinct and will not involve its own trainers or handlers directly. Officials said the new proxy is still in the making and is not yet operational.
Lashkar is expected to take its time, likely waiting at least a year before making the group fully functional.
Even after formation, the group is expected to move cautiously due to tight Indian security measures. Infiltration across the border is currently extremely difficult, so the outfit plans to wait until Indian security agencies lower their guard before attempting any major strikes.
