Top LeT commander Bilal Salafi killed in Muridke headquarters
In a major incident reported on the day of Eid, Bilal Arif Salafi (also spelt Sarafi), a senior commander of the Pakistan-based and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) proscribed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was shot and stabbed to death inside the group’s main headquarters at Markaz Taiba, in Muridke, Punjab province.
The attack took place moments after Eid al-Fitr prayers ended, when the complex was crowded with Lashkar members and leaders, including Maulana Abu Zar and Maulana Abdul Rehman Abid. According to reports, the assailants struck quickly as they fired multiple shots, followed by multiple stabbings. They escaped without being caught immediately. No group has claimed responsibility. Pakistani authorities have issued no official statement so far. Major Pakistani media outlets, such as Dawn and Geo TV, have not reported the incident prominently. Most media reports describe the killers as unknown assailants who fled the scene. Some accounts suggest the attack may have been an ‘inside job’ linked to internal rivalries or power struggles within the Lashkar members and their ISI handlers. The reported involvement of a female assailant has added to speculation about a pre-planned strike. One different version has claimed that Salafi was killed by his own family members in a domestic dispute.
There have been reports of growing discontent within the Lashkar as of January 2026. The assessment by the Indian security agencies has noted rifts, with some commanders and operatives unhappy about being forced to fight Baloch insurgents or protect Chinese interests instead of focusing on anti-India operations, especially after losses in the 2025 India-Pakistan clashes.
The daylight murder of Salafi has exposed the hidden power struggle among the Lashkar cadres. This killing comes at a time when Pakistan continues to face serious terrorism challenges; it has been ranked number 1 in the Global Terrorism Index.
If the attack was carried out by insiders, it could point to growing divisions inside Lashkar, which has long been seen as relatively unified under the likes of its founder, Amir Hafiz Saeed.
Markaz is Lashkar-e-Taiba’s fortified headquarters, spread over about 1.09 acres near Lahore. It serves as the group’s central hub for training, indoctrination, and operations. The complex was destroyed by Indian forces during “Operation Sindoor” in May 2025, but it was later rebuilt. It is considered a high-security zone, which makes the breach by unknown attackers especially significant and has raised questions about internal security failures.
Lashkar-e-Taiba is a UN-designated terrorist organisation linked to major attacks inside India, including the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. It continues to operate in Pakistan with the active help of the Pakistan Army, despite international sanctions.
Bilal Arif Salafi had been associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba since at least 2005 and held a prominent role in the group’s recruitment and ideological operations at the Muridke centre.
He was reportedly responsible for identifying and radicalising young men across Pakistan, providing ideological training and promoting the outfit’s Kashmir Jihad agenda. He was actively involved in fundraising for weapons and sustaining terror activities to target Jammu and Kashmir.
He resided in Taiba Colony within Muridke alongside other senior Lashkar commanders.
