Pahalgam attackers likely part of earlier strikes on non-Kashmiris with Pakistani handlers

Time of India

25-04-2025

Investigators probing the brutal attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead are now focusing on a possible coordinated terror strategy that may tie the massacre to two earlier strikes targeting non-Kashmiris.
Officials suspect the same group of
Lashkar-e-Taiba
operatives, including both Pakistani and local militants, may be behind all three incidents, ToI reported on Friday.
On Thursday,
Jammu and Kashmir Police
announced cash rewards of Rs 20 lakh each for information leading to the capture of three wanted terrorists: local Kashmiri Adil Hussain Thokar and two Pakistani nationals, Hasim Musa alias Suleiman and Ali Bhai alias Talha.
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by Taboola
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Was Pahalgam massacre part of a larger conspiracy?
According to sources involved in the probe, there's growing evidence linking the Pahalgam carnage to two previous attacks in October 2024. One occurred in Gagangir (Ganderbal), where six migrant workers and a local doctor were killed. The other took place in Buta Pathri (Baramulla), claiming the lives of two Army personnel and two porters.
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Investigators believe these attacks were not isolated events but part of a broader campaign by Pakistan-based handlers to target non-locals in Kashmir.
"Data recovered from mobile device, including chats, established that Pakistani masterminds had guided the terrorists during the Gagangir and Buta Pathri attacks. With the same assailants and motive seen in the Pahalgam strike, things point to a common set of conspirators based in Pakistan," said a senior security source.
Among the three identified terrorists, Musa appears to be the most deeply entrenched. His name has surfaced in all three attacks, and he is believed to have narrowly escaped an earlier encounter in Sopore. His associates, Arbaaz Mir and Junaid Bhat, both residents of Kulgam, had also received terror training in Pakistan before returning to the Valley. They were killed in separate operations in late 2024.
A key breakthrough came after forces killed Arbaaz Mir in Anantnag. From the encounter site, security personnel recovered a cache of arms along with a mobile phone. Chats on the device reportedly exposed communication between the attackers and their handlers across the border.
More crucially, a photograph found on the phone — showing four armed men — was shown to survivors of the
Pahalgam attack
, who identified three of them: Musa, Talha, and Thokar.
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Pahalgam attack: The investigation so far
Adil Thokar
, also known as Adil Guree, is a resident of Anantnag and currently at large. His family and suspected overground supporters are being questioned to track his movements and identify safehouses or accomplices.
Security officials are also examining the role of Asif Shaikh, a Lashkar operative from Awantipora, who is believed to have provided logistical support for the Pahalgam attackers. Active in the Tral-Kulgam-Pulwama belt, Shaikh's local network is under scrutiny.
To uncover the full extent of the conspiracy, agencies are sifting through nearly two lakh mobile calls made or received around the Pahalgam area on the day of the attack.
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'We are trying to find any conversations among the overground workers and other facilitators regarding the Pahalgam attack plan or the shelter/logistics arranged by local terror guides. One careless call, even though terrorists now rely on secure apps like Ultra to communicate, could unravel the conspiracy and the key players,' a senior officer explained.
The attack has prompted a sharp security response. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed forces to 'avenge the killing' and ordered fresh mapping of vulnerable locations across Jammu and Kashmir, including tourist destinations and settlements of migrant labourers.
(With ToI inputs)