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Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Pahalgam attack: Month on, over 2,000 questioned, accused yet to be nabbed
Even a month after the killing of 25 tourists and a local pony wala in Baisaran, Pahalgam, the killers are still at large amid operation to track them down in south Kashmir and neighboring Kishtwar district of Jammu. The NIA , which is investigating the case, is still questioning local eyewitnesses. In the past one month, more than 2,000 people have been picked up across Kashmir for questioning. Many were released but dozens were booked under the stringent Public Safety Act. Even the police claimed to have raided the houses of more than 100 terror associates across Kashmir. Even on Wednesday, NIA investigators called local pony walas and other eyewitnesses for questioning. The agency has also questioned relatives of victims of terror attack and those who survived the attack and locals who were present when the attack took place last month. 'The NIA investigators are still calling people for questioning. Even yesterday, a few pony walas were again questioned,' said a local tourist guide, seeking anonymity. 'Some eyewitnesses have been questioned four to five times,' he said. A senior police officer said, 'After one month, officials know many important points about the terrorists. NIA teams comprising senior officers are busy in investigation.' At the same time, army, police and CRPF personnel are busy in search operations across south Kashmir. The army has gone deep into forests and up in the mountains to get clue about the terrorists. Apart from para-commandos, men from several units of the army are busy in this operation. 'It's a vast area of dense forests which is connected with Kishtwar forests. So far, army teams have searched several forest areas. The crucial time is also running out as one month is a long time,' said an officer privy to security details. 'We have indications that the terrorists responsible for the tourist killings haven't crossed over to Kishtwar and must be hiding in the Valley,' said an army officer. Even after a month, Pahalgam still looks deserted though some tourists have started visiting the resort but the number is not more than a couple of hundred and most of them return to Srinagar by evening. Even local tourists from J&K are staying away from this place. The police have already announced a ₹20-lakh reward for providing information about the terrorists. Soon after the attack on April 22, investigators uncovered the involvement of Adil Hussain Thoker, Hashim Musa and Adil Bhai. Musa and Bhai are said to be Pakistani nationals. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. Since the attack, six local militants including top operational commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in two separate encounters in Keller Shopian and Tral, but they had no links with the Pahalgam terror attack. Waheed Ahmad, a pony wala and tour guide, said, 'With the terrorist attack, the Pahalgam, which was full of tourists, appears as a ghost town. Thousands associated with the tourism industry are staring at a bleak future.' The security around Pahalgam has been beefed up and the area domination of all forests and mountains is being conducted by Rashtriya Rifle battalions of the army ahead of Amarnath yatra which begins on July 3. 'Our tourism will depend on the successful yatra. We hope tourists will again return after the yatra,' said Mushtaq Ahmad, who owns a guest house in the centre of the tourist resort.
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Security Forces Eye 54 Routes To Hunt Down Pahalgam Attack Terrorists
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir are intensifying searches for terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, focusing on 54 routes. New Delhi: The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have intensified their search for the terrorists behind the deadly Pahalgam attack and are now focused on 54 routes that begin from Baisaran, the valley where the terror attack left 26 people dead last month, sources told NDTV. Some of these routes go upwards towards dense forests and mountains, while others are connected to different parts of Kashmir, they said. The Over Ground Workers (OGWs), who have been arrested for providing logistics to terrorists, have also been taken to the forests for the search operations. The terrorists are believed to be in hideouts in the forests, sources said. The probe has so far found that three terrorists - two from Pakistan and one from Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag - had opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley, known as "mini Switzerland" for its rolling hills and verdant orchards, killing 25 Indian nationals and a Nepali citizen on April 22. The police have released sketches of three terrorists suspected of being involved in the Pahalgam attack. — Anantnag Police( اننت ناگ پولیس) (@AnantnagPolice) April 24, 2025 According to the notices made public by the police on X, the three suspects are: Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai, both residents of Pakistan, and Adil Hussain Thoker, a native of Anantnag. The attack in Baisaran meadow was one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in the region in recent years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will "identify, track and punish" every terrorist and their "backers" who were behind the Pahalgam attack. "We will pursue them to the ends of the earth," he told a public gathering on April 24. India has hit Pakistan with a series of strict measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the over six-decade-old Indus Waters Treaty and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post.
News18
05-05-2025
- News18
Two Weeks Since Pahalgam Tragedy, Nervous Anticipation In Kashmir As Valley Waits For Justice
Last Updated: As one moves from Tanmarg to Gulmarg, the joint patrolling by CRPF, police and BSF, the mobile bunkers, check points, and bullet-proof vehicles are all evidence of heightened alert Thirteen days since the Pahalgam attack, the sense of uncertainty in the Valley is unmistakable. Convoys of security forces are a regular affair on the highways, but in the aftermath of the Pahalgam tragedy, across Uri, Baramulla, and Kupwara, each new vehicle and new movement of men in uniform is being looked at with a sense of anticipation and nervousness. In schools of Uri along the LoC and Arnia along the International Border, students are being put through emergency drills to teach them how to be safe in case of military action. Similar drills are being held in most schools in villages on the India-Pakistan border or the LoC. The repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan since April 25 have kept the border population on its toes. Community bunkers have been readied, and the SoP to take cover in case of shelling has been reiterated—especially to the young, for whom this kind of tension is a new phenomenon. A long-range patrol of the Border Security Force (BSF) in snow-capped areas close to the Line of Control is on the lookout for activities on the other side. Fences in these parts are always a casualty to avalanches and heavy snowfall. The white snow carpet is exploited by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the task for these patrolling personnel is to keep an eye on the infiltration routes that have been identified. The line demarcating a terrorist from a Pakistani Army regular has been blurred even further, with intelligence inputs suggesting that Hashim Musa, the primary suspect of Pahalgam attack, is a Pakistan-trained para commando. The other challenge is tourism. Tourism is down by almost 90 per cent in the Valley. Pahalgam is seeing barely any footfall, with Chandanwari, Aru and Betab Valley shut for tourists. Baisaran, the other tourism magnet, is only seeing visits by National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials. The entire tourism sector here is resigned to its fate. But, in Sonmarg, the pony handlers are at pains to tell whoever is willing to listen that 'Kashmir is safe". Prod them a bit longer and details of security being ramped up start flowing. 'We have been asked to keep our eyes and ears open in our villages and also when we go up the Thajwas Glacier with tourists," Imtiyaz, a pony operator, tells CNN-News18. Nawaz, a tourist guide, adds: 'In the higher stretches, the Army has increased its presence. J&K Tourist Police is also stationed to protect tourists. CRPF and J&K Police are all deployed ever since the Pahalgam attack happened." There is also a reason why combing operations are on from Pahalgam in South Kashmir to Sonmarg in the Centre and Gulmarg in the North. Across the Sonmarg Tunnel is Gagangir, where six labourers and a local doctor were gunned down in a construction camp last year. 'Just like Pahalgam, they had mostly targeted non-locals. They chose a place where security took time to arrive, giving them enough time to escape," a security guard who was on duty on the day of the attack told CNN-News18. Junaid Bhatt, one of the terrorists involved, was caught on camera during the attack. Junaid was a local from Gagangir and was shot dead four months later in North Kashmir's Dachigam forest. His phone yielded photos of Hashim Musa, Ali Bhai and Adil Thokar—the three men identified as Pahalgam terror suspects. Investigations, like those in the Sonmarg tunnel attack, have established that terrorists are moving around in the Valley and not sticking to one area. This is why search operations to trace the Pahalgam attackers are spread over 10 districts in the Valley as well as across Peer Panjal. As you move from Tanmarg to Gulmarg, the joint patrolling by CRPF, police and BSF, the mobile bunkers, check points, and bullet-proof vehicles are all evidence of heightened alert. Drones keep an eye as a handful of tourists plays with snow in the second phase of the Gondola Ride. A two-pronged approach is evident—bring the terrorist to justice and take action against their masters sitting in Pakistan. However, on the eve of the 13th day rituals for the victims of Pahalgam, their families as well as Indians are still wondering about the country's next move. First Published: May 05, 2025, 11:27 IST
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Terrorists Involved In Pahalgam Attack Had Military Training In Pakistan: Sources
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The Pahalgam attack on April 22 involved terrorists trained by Pakistan's Special Service Group. One key figure, Hashim Musa, a Lashkar-e-Taiba member, has engaged in multiple attacks. A manhunt is underway, with a bounty offered for his capture. New Delhi: The terrorists responsible for the deadly attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley on April 22 had received elite military training in Pakistan, sources said. This training from the Pakistani Special Service Group led them to aid their terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir effectively. Officials uncovered the information during the interrogation of some terrorists who are already in jail. Hashim Musa, one of the three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack, has previously served as a para-commando in Pakistan's Special Service Group. He later joined Lashkar-e-Taiba and has been part of multiple terror attacks since. According to sources, Musa is learnt to have entered India in 2023. Since then, he has been a part of at least six terror attacks across Jammu and Kashmir, including the October 2024 attack in Ganderbal district that left seven people dead, and the attack in Baramullah that left four security personnel dead. Security agencies believe Musa is hiding somewhere in the forests of south Kashmir, and an all-out operation has been launched to track him down. Jammu and Kashmir police have announced a bounty of Rs 20 lakh for any information about the terrorist and assured that the informer's identity will be kept secret. All the terrorists, including Musa, who have received special training in Pakistan, are a part of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, or Hizbul Mujahideen. Pahalgam terror attack Twenty-six people, including one Nepali national, were killed and many others were injured as multiple terrorists descended on Baisaran Valley, known as "Mini Switzerland" - a tourist hotspot with rolling hills and verdant orchards - and opened fire. According to eyewitnesses, as the gunshots rang out, there was panic among the tourists who ran for cover. However, there was no place for them to hide in the wide, open space. Security forces have launched search operations to track down the terrorists involved in the attack. While India has taken strict action against Pakistan by suspending the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty indefinitely and sending all Pakistani nationals back. According to intelligence security agency sources, the motive behind the attack was to cause maximum destruction in Kashmir. The attack has been one of the biggest terror attacks after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Hans India
04-05-2025
- Hans India
FairPoint: The exodus never probed, the blood we see in Pahalgam
As information about the April 22 Pahalgam massacre emerges, it is becoming increasingly clear that a crucial local support system aided the terror attackers. This support included choosing the site of the attack based on high vulnerability and limited accessibility for security forces; arranging lodging and boarding through local residences; establishing a support network that led unsuspecting victims to the spot; arranging, transporting, concealing, and handing over weapons to the attackers; providing cover during the attack; monitoring the movement of security forces; facilitating swift escape; offering shelter- possibly in local homes - and using vehicles while fleeing, thereby managing to evade security forces and even the intelligence radar. In each of these aspects, the involvement of the locals was for sure. Pakistan trained terrorists, offered money to lure locals, and used religion to justify the act. In Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is now probing the case, has reportedly questioned around 2,500 locals. Unconfirmed sources suggest that approximately 35 locals were directly involved in the attack, and more casualties could have occurred had more of them been armed. It is being said that these terrorists had been living near the attack site for the past month. While some carried out the actual assault, others - including ponywallahs, snack vendors, and others - were actively part of the network. Although the terror network mostly relied on human communication, security agencies have also detected the presence of a banned Huawei satellite phone in the Pahalgam region at the time of the attack. Huawei, a Chinese company, is prohibited in India. It is suspected that the device was smuggled from Pakistan. Despite ongoing investigations into the local links, the announcement of a Rs 60 lakh reward has so far yielded no leads. The Jammu and Kashmir Police released sketches and announced the reward for information leading to the neutralisation of the three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack: Hashim Musa alias Sulaiman, Ali Bhai alias Tulha Bhai - both Pakistani nationals - and Aadil Hussain Thokar from South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The identities of informants are being strictly kept confidential. The presence of local support - whether from Kashmir, Jammu, or, as is being speculated, even other states - is a grave concern for national security. This is further evidenced by reactions on social media, where some individuals have objected to the desecration of Pakistani flags. Why should they object? Why are slogans against Pakistan being opposed? Why is there sympathy for the perpetrators when India has officially declared that Pakistan is behind the Pahalgam terror attack? These questions are unsettling, but they also highlight the uncomfortable truth about sleeper cells and overground workers. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and current president of the National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, has acknowledged the possibility of local involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack. He stated that he does not believe such incidents can occur without local support, and he questioned how the attackers managed to arrive and operate undetected. Farooq Abdullah is arguably well-placed to speak on this issue, having been at the helm when terrorism first took root in the Valley. He was the Chief Minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state when Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus were targeted and faced a genocide-like situation. Local support became the backbone for the so-called 'azadi' movement led by terrorists and separatists, which ultimately resulted in the mass exodus of Hindus. Nearly 7,00,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee, and their homes, properties, and institutions were taken over. The two per cent minority population of Kashmir was effectively driven out. Around 1,000 Kashmiri Pandits - including men, women, and children - were brutally killed. Many women were kidnapped, gang-raped for days, and then murdered. There are harrowing tales of torture and death from this period. When mosques broadcast calls for a Kashmir with only Kashmiri Pandit women and no Hindu men, the community had no choice but to flee. Locals - including neighbours, colleagues, subordinates, and even vegetable vendors - became informants for terrorists who hunted and killed Hindus. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorist Farooq Ahmed Dar, also known as Bitta Karate, openly boasted of killing between 30 and 42 people, most of them Kashmiri Hindus. He admitted on a national news channel that he never covered his face while killing and that people never handed him over to the security forces. He said the people supported him. This open admission demonstrates the local support that terrorism received in the Valley during Farooq Abdullah's tenure and also the subsequent rulers. This support continued over the years, and those in power - including Abdullah - were aware of it. Yet no substantial action was taken. Had the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus been properly investigated or the individual killings thoroughly probed, the role of local collaborators might have been exposed and addressed. The local connections - shaped by appeals to religious sentiment, reinforced by fear and financial inducements - have played a pivotal role in executing Pakistan's nefarious designs. These local links and sleeper cells in Jammu and Kashmir are complicit in both the ethnic cleansing of Hindus and the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. Kashmiri Pandits and other pro-India individuals were prime targets of Pakistani-backed terrorism in the late 1980s, 1990s, and even into the 2000s. Non-locals were often attacked to instil fear, and now even tourists are being targeted. Pakistan has repeatedly demonstrated that it can orchestrate terror attacks anytime and anywhere - the 26/11 Mumbai attack being another chilling example. The local link must be unmasked and dealt with effectively to deter future attacks.
