Five Terrorists Involved in Pahalgam Attack Identified, Including Three from Pakistan

Attack on Tourists in Pahalgam: Five Terrorists Identified, Including Three from Pakistan
Security Operatives Ramp Up Search Operations as Authorities Investigate Connections to Major Terror Groups
At least five terrorists, out of whom three are suspected to be from Pakistan, are reported to have carried out an attack on tourists in the Baisaran valley meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, sources from The Indian Express claim. Intelligence inputs and eyewitness testimony suggest that two of the perpetrators are local militants, making the investigation into the horrific act tougher.

The eyewitnesses said that the attackers conversed in Urdu with a native dialect of some areas in Pakistan, and due to this, the authorities started suspecting where they were from. A high-ranking officer belonging to the security establishment asserted that the investigation was examining the possible role of the local militants as he said, “At least two local militants are suspected to be accompanying them.”

Top sources have hinted that one of the suspects may have earlier been involved in an attack on an Indian Air Force convoy that had killed a corporal last year. The two suspected local militants are said to have also gone to Pakistan in 2017 and came back to the Valley last year after undergoing training related to the Jaish-e-Mohammed. Early probes also indicate coordination with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the conducting of this attack. Prosecutors are also questioning the possible involvement of a known Lashkar commander, Saifullah Kasuri, alias Saifullah Khalid, notorious for having close links to 26/11 Mumbai terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Sources say that all the assailants have reached the upper terrain of the Pir Panjal range and are therefor e undertaking on-going searches by the Indian Army, central paramilitary personnel, and the police of Jammu and Kashmir.

The J&K police said that it is suspected that the assailants deployed body cameras while carrying out the attack, a tactic growing popular among terrorist organizations to record their operations for propaganda value. The officer commented, “All Jammu attacks over the last three years have been recorded using body or gun-mounted cameras. The LeT has released propaganda videos using the footage.”

Though the precise mode of entry is still in doubt, security establishments are evaluating available loopholes on the border and analyzing intelligence reports. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will formally take over the probe from local police, with senior officials reaching the crime scene to make a proper examination.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah went to the Baisaran meadow, where the attack occurred, and conducted security review meetings with police, Intelligence Bureau, and Army officials. He also met victims of the attack, which he termed as “cold-blooded murders.”

Invesitgative reports confirm that most of the victims were shot at the head and chest, pointing to a premeditated killing in the assault. “At least 12 victims had head injuries from close range,” a senior investigating officer said.

Describing the scene, one of the officers said that the attackers came out of a nearby jungle and returned to it after conducting the shooting rampage. It was found by the team of investigators that there was a motorbike with no number plate around the area, though it is considered unlikely to have been employed to ferry the attackers.

The Baisaran region is dominated by dense jungles, which serve naturally to conceal militants and make it difficult to trace their movement. With the huge influx of visitors in Pahalgam, officials described the challenge of keeping a tab on movement in a crowded place where there are no parking areas.

A top police officer said the militants must have entered recently, as Baisaran’s hilly terrain links it to several places. The possibility of militants moving through these forests to Kokernag, Kishtwar, and further is a serious concern for security forces that are attempting to keep the area peaceful. The investigation aims to find out how these militants functioned in an increased tourist setting and the overall impact of their activities on security in Kashmir.