A Pakistani terrorist, believed to be a former commando of the Pakistan Army's elite Special Services Group (SSG), allegedly used pure honey to treat bullet wounds while hiding in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday. Mohd Asif, alias “Hashim Moosa”, was the chief operational commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the region and was allegedly among the masterminds of the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. He was killed in a high-altitude operation by the Army in Yousmarg in central Kashmir's Budgam district earlier this week.
According to officials, Moosa suffered bullet injuries during an earlier encounter in the Dorimal-Gambhir Moghla area as part of Operation Sheruwali in Rajouri.
The operation continued for more than 45 days as security forces searched for two terrorists hiding in the area. The two were later identified as Moosa and his associate Yasir.
While hiding in the forests of Poonch and Rajouri, Moosa allegedly applied honey to his wounds after being cut off from medical treatment because of the security cordon, officials said.
The honey was used in an attempt to support wound healing and prevent infection, they added.
After Yasir was killed in the higher reaches of Yousmarg in the first week of September, security forces recovered a phone from him, officials said.
The device reportedly contained photographs of Moosa's injuries after they had been treated with honey. According to officials, the images were sent across the border to handlers in Pakistan to update them on Moosa's condition.
The handlers were also reportedly instructing the terrorists to ensure that the honey being used was pure, believing it would help Moosa's wounds heal faster.
Moosa was allegedly involved in around a dozen terror attacks, including the 2025 Pahalgam attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed at Baisaran.
Medical experts cited by officials said the use of honey as a wound-care measure has a basis in traditional Ayurvedic practices, although treatment of serious injuries such as gunshot wounds requires proper medical care.
Dr R P Parasher, president of the All India Doctors Association of Indian System of Medicine, said honey has a role in Ayurveda's traditional approach to wound management.
He explained that texts such as the Sushruta Samhita refer to honey in Vrana Chikitsa, or wound care, because of its Shodhana (purifying) and Ropana (healing) properties.
“Modern research provides possible mechanisms consistent with some of these observations: honey's high osmotic activity, acidic pH, hydrogen-peroxide generation in some preparations, and other antimicrobial constituents can inhibit microbial growth and support a favourable wound environment,” Dr Parasher said.
However, he cautioned that gunshot wounds require thorough cleaning and proper medical treatment. Any retained particles from a gunshot injury could interfere with healing, while clinical wound care requires sterile, medical-grade honey to reduce the risk of secondary infection.
A research paper published in Food Science and Engineering also examined honey's role in wound care.
“When honey is applied to a wound, it speeds up the healing process and gets rid of any infection that may have been there. The situation is analogous with burns.
“A honey dressing may hasten the healing process, disinfect the wound, and ease the discomfort. Both the osmotic outflow and the bioactive impact of honey contribute to the remarkable speed with which it disinfects wounds.”
Dr Jahanzeb Sirwal, a veterinary expert, said honey is known to act as an osmotic agent, drawing fluid away from the wound bed and potentially aiding the removal of dead tissue while reducing inflammation.
“Generally, honey becomes an easy method for people surviving in jungles in case they face a burn or a wound. This is often applied on cattle as well,” he said.
The killing of Moosa brings to an end an intensive five-year hunt for one of the prominent terror commanders operating in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
According to officials, Moosa was allegedly involved in more than a dozen major attacks targeting security personnel and civilians.
In April 2023, he allegedly orchestrated the Bhatta Duriyan ambush in Poonch, in which five soldiers were killed. A month later, five commandos were killed in a blast in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri.
In December 2023, Moosa allegedly led the Dera Ki Gali ambush in Poonch, which killed four military personnel. He was also accused of targeting an Indian Air Force convoy near Shasitar in May 2024, in which one airman was killed.
By October 2024, his alleged activities had expanded to attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure. On October 20, an attack on a construction camp at the Gagangir tunnel project in Ganderbal killed seven people, including a local doctor.
Four days later, his alleged module attacked an Army vehicle in Butapathri, killing two soldiers and two civilian defence porters.
