Who Was Saifullah Khalid and His Role in Terrorism?

Saifullah Khalid, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, was gunned down by unknown assailants in Pakistan’s Sindh province on May 18, 2025. Operating under aliases like Vinod Kumar, Khalid orchestrated high-profile terror attacks, including the 2006 RSS headquarters bombing in Nagpur, the 2005 Indian Institute of Science attack in Bengaluru, and the 2001 CRPF camp attack in Rampur, which killed seven personnel. Based in Nepal earlier, he recruited and radicalized youth, providing logistical and financial support for LeT’s operations. After Indian intelligence tracked him, he relocated to Sindh, continuing his anti-India activities. 

Khalid’s killing in Matli, Sindh, is part of a series of 16 anti-India terrorists eliminated in Pakistan since 2023 by “unknown gunmen,” a phenomenon India Today calls “mysterious.” Despite Pakistan’s security, Khalid was shot near a crossing, prompting speculation about the perpetrators. Pakistan accuses India’s RAW agency, but India denies involvement, with experts suggesting internal rivalries among ISI-backed terror groups like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed. This mirrors the deaths of LeT operatives like Hajla Adnan (2023) and Abu Qatal.

How Does Saifullah Khalid’s Death Relate to Operation Sindoor’s Strategy?

Khalid’s elimination aligns with India’s Operation Sindoor, launched after the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted nine terror camps, including LeT’s Muridke headquarters, linked to Hafiz Saeed. Khalid, a close Saeed associate, was a high-value target due to his role in LeT’s network, weakened by these killings. India’s diplomatic outreach, using figures like M J Akbar, Shashi Tharoor counters Pakistan’s “copycat” diplomacy, labeled “idiotic” for its lack of credibility.