 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 30: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered the involvement of local terrorists operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in the devastating Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives. The investigation, still in its early stages, points to a coordinated effort involving over 200 local terrorists based in Pakistan and PoJK, with logistics facilitated by Pahalgam residents under the direction of Pakistan-based operatives.
According to NIA sources, the attack was orchestrated by top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Farooq Ahmad, currently believed to be in PoJK. Ahmad, a key figure in multiple terror attacks in Kashmir over the past two years, allegedly leveraged his sleeper cell network to execute the assault in Baisaran valley, a scenic tourist spot. Security forces recently demolished Ahmad’s house in Kupwara as part of a crackdown on the region’s terror ecosystem. Sources reveal Ahmad has been facilitating terrorist infiltrations The investigation points to a coordinated effort involving over 200 local terrorists based in Pakistan and PoJK.
The logistics were facilitated by Pahalgam residents under the direction of Pakistan-based operatives.
The attack was orchestrated by top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Farooq Ahmad, currently believed to be in PoJK.
Ahmad, a key figure in multiple terror attacks in Kashmir over the past two years, allegedly leveraged his sleeper cell network to execute the assault in Baisaran.
The attack, one of the deadliest in Kashmir in recent years, was carried out by three identified terrorists, with a possible fourth operative in the surrounding forests. The perpetrators include two Pakistani terrorists, Ali Bhai (alias Talha) and Hashim Musa (alias Suleiman), and a local LeT recruit, Adil Hussain Thoker. Thoker, who traveled to Pakistan in 2018 for training in terror camps, infiltrated back into Jammu and Kashmir last year. Police have released sketches of the three attackers and announced a Rs 20 lakh reward for information leading to their arrest.
Ahmad, known to have traveled between Pakistan and India from 1990 to 2016, is considered a pivotal figure in the attack’s planning. Several of his aides have been detained following the assault, and investigations continue to dismantle the terror network responsible for this heinous act. | 