NIA takes blood, hair samples of Pahalgam terror attack suspects

Hindustan Times

a day ago

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken blood and hair samples from Pravaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar , the duo arrested in connection with the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, to conduct DNA analysis and ascertain if they played a larger role than just sheltering the three Pakistani terrorists who shot 26 civilians, people familiar with the matter said. Pahalgam terror suspects were killed by security forces on July 28.(HT Photo)
The DNA samples, collected from the Amphalla prison in Jammu, where the two are currently lodged, are likely to be matched with the clothes and weapons recovered from three terrorists , Suleiman Shah, Hamza Afghani alias Afghan and Jibran, added the people, asking not to be identified.
Also Read | Day after Pahalgam, Rajnath said 'enough is enough', forces given free hand: Army chief on Op Sindoor
The three terrorists, who shot dead 25 tourists and a pony operator on April 22 at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, were killed by security forces on July 28 in Dachigam forest area. Union home minister Amit Shah confirmed in Parliament on July 29 that the terrorists were from Pakistan and belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Arrested on June 22, Parvaiz and Bashir Jothar allegedly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack, on April 21. 'The two men provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists who selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity,' the anti-terror agency said in a statement in June.
'We are trying to ascertain if they had any larger role in the Pahalgam attack other than just providing them shelter and food. Thus, their blood samples and hair follicles for DNA analysis have been taken to match with clothes, weapons and other articles recovered from Shah, Afghan and Jibran,' said one of the people cited in the first instance, an officer with NIA.
'The samples will also be useful in matching with articles recovered in previous attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, to see whether these two had any role to play in sheltering or assisting other terrorists or not,' this person added.
Also Read | Pahalgam to Rawalpindi via DC: Tale of a conflict
NIA has so far questioned 1055 individuals in its Pahalgam probe including tourists, mule owners, pony owners, photographers, employees and shop workers, recording over 3,000 hours of testimony.
A second officer familiar with the Pahalgam probe said NIA 'is currently analysing technical data retrieved from the phones and satellite phone recovered from the three terrorists, which will give more clues about the LeT handlers in Pakistan who controlled the attack'.
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in pre-dawn strikes --- in which at least 100 terrorists were killed --- and sparked a series of attacks and counter-attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels. In one such attack on the night of May 9-10, the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 after the two nations reached an understanding.