Latest news with #AasifShaikh
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
From Mundra port to Pahalgam: Probe agency finds Rs 21,000 crore drug link between Gujarat and Kashmir terror attack
Heroin consignment and terror funding Suspected terrorists identified Live Events Deadliest attack since Article 370 abrogation Infiltration bid foiled at LoC You Might Also Like: Pahalgam attack: India will wipe out the remaining land of terror, PM Modi says in a strong warning (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a major revelation to the Supreme Court, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has linked the recent Pahalgam terror attack to Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) narco-trafficking strategy, backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The agency informed the court that the terror group's broader plan was to raise money for its operations and destabilise India by distributing narcotics among Indian youth, a TOI report NIA told the bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh that the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin valued at ₹21,000 crore from Mundra port was part of LeT's strategy. The drugs were smuggled into India from Afghanistan through Iran, concealed as talc powder, and imported using valid solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati said, 'Look what they did to India at Pahalgam by shooting innocent tourists,' while explaining the terror group's operations. According to the affidavit, the narcotics were routed through Iranian intermediaries and stored at warehouses in Neb Sarai and Alipur in Delhi. The funds from the sale were allegedly used to finance terror NIA added, 'This case is a case of largest intercepted consignment of narco-substance being brought to India through illicit means, which was to be used, not only, to wreak a havoc among public (which was the targeted user of the said narco-product) but also, to use the sale proceeds to fund terrorism.'Security agencies have released images of four suspected terrorists involved in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 28 tourists. The individuals have been identified as Aadil Guree, Aasif Shaikh, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha. They used the code names Moosa, Yunus, and Asif. Sources said Aadil Guree from Anantnag and Aasif Shaikh from Sopore are suspected to be in the day, sketches of the suspects were circulated, and a blurred image surfaced on television showing an armed man with an AK-47. While the image has not been verified independently, officials said it matches survivor reports describing attackers in Army assault occurred at around 1:30 pm in Baisaran meadow, a tourist area near Pahalgam. Survivors recounted that six foreign terrorists in military uniforms targeted victims based on their religion. Eyewitnesses said the attackers asked people to reveal their names and recite Islamic verses before opening fire at close security arrangements in the area, including checkpoints and armed patrols, the assailants managed to enter the location and launch the attack. 'The search operation is currently in progress, with all efforts focused on bringing the attackers to justice,' Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said in a the same day, the Army also reported an infiltration attempt at the Line of Control in Baramulla. 'On 23 Apr 2025, approximately 2-3 UI terrorists tried to infiltrate through the general area Sarjeevan at Uri Nala, Baramulla (in north Kashmir),' the Chinar Corps said in a post on X. Alert soldiers challenged the intruders, leading to a firefight. The operation remains incident underscores the continued threat of cross-border terrorism and highlights how drug trafficking is being used to fund such attacks.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- New Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack: Initial probe reveals involvement of two local terrorists
NEW DELHI: A day after 26 people were shot dead in a terror attack at a meadow near Pahalgam in J&K, the preliminary probe revealed that the terrorists chose Baisaran due to the absence of security forces and no access to vehicular movement. Sources said that the location was also chosen to make rescue operations slow and casualties high. "The investigators have identified that two locals named Adil Guree of Anantnag and Aasif Shaikh of Sopore are suspected of having been involved in the attack," confirmed sources. The NIA team is further verifying the leads provided by the local police. The NIA team, led by an Inspector General (IG) level officer, has joined the probe so far and is assisting the Jammu & Kashmir Police, officials said. They also added that in due course, the federal anti-terror investigation agency would take over the case. Sources indicated that both Pakistani and local Kashmiri terrorists wore helmet-mounted cameras, filmed the entire assault and were involved in the attack on tourists. They said that in total, the number of terrorists is believed to be seven -- five foreign and two local, who got adequate support from TRF overground operatives in terms of logistics and thorough reconnaissance of the area before carrying out the massacre. The terrorists who were clad in camouflage outfits and pathani suits, came to the Baisaran meadow and opened fire with American-made M4 carbine assault rifles and AK-47s. Over 50-70 used cartridges had been recovered from the incident site by the evening of April 22, the sources said. Further, providing the details of weapons the terrorists were carrying, the sources said that two of them were carrying M4 carbine assault rifles while the other three were carrying AK-47s. "After reaching the attack site, the terrorists first held the tourists hostage at gunpoint and then asked all women and children to stay away, adding that the terrorists fired from close range after inquiring about identities and subsequently indiscriminately," sources said. However, another intelligence official claimed that the firing was entirely 'indiscriminate', except for the fact that the perpetrators segregated women and children and fired upon men only. Talking about the route through which the terrorists infiltrated into India, the official said that the border terrain along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Jammu region is V-shaped and Pakistani troops remain deployed in the front at a few places. 'Therefore, it has always been difficult to guard against infiltration, and possibly, they entered through this area and traveled all the way to the South Kashmir region,' he noted.
