Pakistan army presents man it says India wrongly identified as militant killed in Kashmir

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s military on Thursday disputed India’s claim that security forces had killed a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commander in Kashmir , presenting a man it said India had wrongly identified as the killed militant.

Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif dismissed the Indian account as fabricated during a televised news conference. The man, whom Sharif identified as Mohammad Asif, said he was a former Pakistani soldier who retired in 2023.

There was no immediate comment from Indian authorities.

The appearance came a day after India’s Ministry of Home Affairs said security forces had killed a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commander identified as Musa, also known as Asif Fauji, in an intelligence-led operation in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs described Wednesday's killing as a major blow to the militant group, saying he was the last surviving member of a four-man group of commanders responsible for several major attacks in the region since 2022.

At the news conference, Asif said friends contacted him after seeing Indian media reports of his death. “To their concerns, I responded that I was here, alive and healthy,” he said.

Asif said he came forward to clarify his identity and expressed surprise that Indian media outlets had displayed what he described as his national identity card while reporting his death.

Sharif accused India of fabricating allegations and staging operations to blame Pakistan for militant violence, but provided no evidence to support the allegations. “It is a very shameful and embarrassing thing. No self-respecting nation does this,” he said.

Asked whether the allegations could trigger another armed conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors, Sharif said Pakistan’s military was prepared and warned of “very harsh” retaliation.

“If they want to do anything, most welcome,” he said. “But let it be clear that this time we will not leave them so easily. This time the cost that Pakistan would inflict on their strategic folly will be very, very severe," Sharif warned.

Pakistan and India have a history of strained relations and have fought three wars since independence in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. The disputed Himalayan region is divided between the two countries, which both claim it in full.