Search for Pahalgam terror suspect made after Chennai flight landed, says Sri Lankan police
COLOMBO: Was a suspect linked to the Pahalgam Terror attack on a flight from Chennai to Colombo? On Saturday noon, Sri Lankan police carried out a search of all passengers from a Sri Lankan Airlines that landed at 11:59 am at the Bandaranaike International Airport following a tip-off of such a possibility.
"The search was carried out in coordination with local authorities following an alert from the Chennai Area Control Centre regarding a suspect wanted in India who was believed to be on board," a Sri Lankan Airlines statement said.
A comprehensive security inspection of the aircraft was carried upon arrival before it was cleared for further operations, the statement added.
On April 22, terrorists had slaughtered 26 innocents, mostly tourists, on the Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had, in its preliminary report, confirmed the involvement of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and the Pakistan Army in the attack.
They had also identified around 20 overground workers (OGWs) from the Kashmir Valley who allegedly provided logistical support to the attackers. These individuals are currently being interrogated.
NIA investigations had revealed that the attackers infiltrated weeks before the assault and were supported by the network of local OGWs who sheltered them, conducted reconnaissance, and facilitated their movements.
Sources said the terrorists reached Pahalgam around April 15 and surveyed four potential sites — Baisaran Valley, Aru Valley, Betaab Valley, and a local amusement park. They ultimately chose Baisaran due to the thin security presence there.
The NIA had recovered over 40 cartridges from the site, which have been sent for ballistic and chemical analysis. Investigators also conducted 3D mapping of the area and extracted tower dump data from nearby mobile towers.
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