'My brother is Mujahideen', admits sister of the Pahalgam terrorist whose house was demolished in Kashmir

Time of India

25-04-2025

The sister of a terrorist involved in the April 22
Pahalgam attack
has identified her brother as a "
Mujahideen
" and accused authorities of punishing innocent family members after their home in Tral was demolished due to an explosion during a search operation.
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
Pakistan suspends Simla pact: What it means & who's affected
What is India's defence muscle if it ever has to attack?
Can Pakistan afford a full-scale war with India?
Speaking to reporters near the ruins of the demolished house, she said, 'My one brother is in jail, the other brother is a Mujahideen, and I also have two sisters. Yesterday, when I came here from my in-laws' place, I did not find my parents and siblings at home. Police had taken them away. While I was here, the Security Forces came and asked me to move to a neighbour's house. I saw a man wearing a camouflage uniform placing an object like a bomb on top of the house. After that, the house was demolished… We are innocent. They have destroyed our house.'
— ANI (@ANI)
The woman is the sister of
Adil Hussain Thokar
, also known as Adil Guree, a local terrorist from
Anantnag
district who has been named by authorities as one of the key conspirators in the Pahalgam attack. Officials say Thokar is affiliated with
Lashkar-e-Taiba
and helped plan the massacre alongside Pakistani operatives.
GIF89a����!�,D;
5
5
Next
Stay
Playback speed
1x Normal
Back
0.25x
0.5x
1x Normal
1.5x
2x
5
5
/
Skip
Ads by
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Under Construction Homes With ROI Upside
Chandiwala Builders
Get Offer
Undo
Houses destroyed in explosive search operation
The family's home in Tral was one of two buildings reduced to rubble on Thursday night. The second belonged to another local man suspected of terror links. According to officials, the explosions took place during a search operation for alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives Adil Hussain Thokar and Asif Sheikh. Authorities claim the homes contained explosives that went off while being examined by security personnel.
Reward announced for fugitives
The Anantnag Police has announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for credible information leading to the arrest of Adil Hussain Thokar, along with two other Lashkar terrorists identified as Ali Bhai and Hashim Musa. All three are accused of playing central roles in orchestrating the deadly assault in Baisaran, a tourist meadow about seven kilometres from Pahalgam.
Live Events
You Might Also Like:
Pahalgam attack: Homes of two terrorists likely involved in Pahalgam massacre destroyed in blast
Investigators say Thokar legally visited Pakistan in 2018 via the Attari-Wagah border, where he received terrorist training. He allegedly returned to
Jammu and Kashmir
covertly last year and has since been aiding cross-border operatives with logistics and planning.
Attack that shocked Kashmir
The Pahalgam attack is being described as the deadliest in the region since the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019. The six attackers, dressed in Army fatigues, reportedly targeted tourists based on their religion. Witnesses say the gunmen asked victims to identify themselves and recite Islamic verses before opening fire.
The assault, which occurred around 1:30 PM in a heavily patrolled area, killed 26 people—many of them tourists—and left several injured. Survivors described the scene as chaotic and terrifying, with gunfire echoing through the usually peaceful meadow ringed by pine forests and snow-capped peaks.
Aftermath and growing outrage
While authorities defend the demolitions as part of counter-terror operations, families of the suspects claim they are being punished without trial. 'We are innocent,' the sister said again, standing amid the rubble of her home. 'They didn't even let me speak to my parents. They just came and destroyed everything.'
You Might Also Like:
India doesn't have any tech edge over Pakistan, warns Gul Panag's father who fought Kargil war amid retaliation calls after Pahalgam
Security has since been tightened across the region as the manhunt continues for the fugitives. The government has reiterated its commitment to dismantling local support networks for foreign terrorists, even as the emotional fallout from the attack and its aftermath spreads through the Valley.