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News18
28-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
Pahalgam Attack: Security Agencies Outline Three Key Priorities to Combat Terrorism in J&K
Last Updated: Security agencies have identified the locations of the terrorists who attacked Pahalgam and they are believed to be within an 8km radius of the site Indian security agencies and the government have outlined three main priorities for Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed. First, they aim to arrest or eliminate the perpetrators as quickly as possible. Second, they are determined to prevent any similar attacks in the future. Third, they intend to target and eliminate the foreign terrorists who have infiltrated areas within a 10-12 km radius in both Jammu and Kashmir. The security agencies have identified the locations of the terrorists who attacked Pahalgam. Currently, these terrorists are within an 8km radius of Pahalgam, specifically in the areas of Hapatnar, Lidar Valley, Chattargul, and Tral. Sources from the security agencies revealed that two instances of digital signatures were discovered in these areas on Saturday. These signatures are believed to belong to handlers, possibly associated with Adnan Shafi. CNN-News18 had earlier reported about possible local handlers involved. The terrorists who carried out the April 22 attack in Pahalgam were highly trained, according to top sources. Experts say the shots to vital organs or even the head show their precision, making it different from the earlier attacks in the Valley, where grenades were used or terrorists used to flee after one or two gunshots. Adil Hussain Thoker, son of Wali Mohammad Thoker who lives in Anantnag, planned the Pahalgam attack in connivance with Lashkar-e-Toiba's commanders in Pakistan Saifullah Kasuri and Abu Musa, according to highly placed sources. As per sources, Adil, now in his 20s, came into the limelight when he was seen attending the funeral of terrorists in south Kashmir in 2018. The same year, just a little more than a teen, he went to Pakistan on a Valid Travel Document (VTD) via Wagah and disappeared thereafter. Soon, there were reports he had joined the banned Pakistan-based terror group LeT. First Published: April 28, 2025, 09:25 IST
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First Post
26-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
How Adil Thoker went from being J&K teacher to Pahalgam terror attack architect
Adil Hussain Thoker, the mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, hails from Anantnag's Guri village. He is one of the gunmen that carried out the attack, killing 26 people. But who is Thoker? How did he go from a teacher to becoming the architect of the Pahalgam terror attack? read more Adil Hussain Thoker, the mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, once worked as a teacher. News18 Who is Adil Hussain Thoker? The mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack once worked as a teacher, according to several media reports. He was reportedly one of the six gunmen that carried out the attack which left 26 dead. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the terror attack. But who is he? How did he go from a teacher to becoming the architect of the Pahalgam terror attack? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look: Who is Thoker? As per The Print, Thoker hails from Anantnag's Guri village. His father is one Wali Mohammad Thoker, as per News18. His family owns land in the area. Thoker is one of three siblings. 'He has two brothers. His family also owns a good chunk of land here,' a source told the outlet. Thoker became radicalised during his college years. Thoker began working as a teacher after completing his post-graduation. He was also seen attending religious gatherings and funerals of militants killed by security forces. 'This began way before he left for Pakistan. At that time no one suspected anything since a lot of people would attend funerals of militants. Suspicion arose when he disappeared in 2018,' a second source said. Thoker is thought to have visited Pakistan in 2018. As per News18, Thoker is believed to have travelled to Pakistan via Wagah on a Valid Travel Document (VTD). He is said to have disappeared shortly afterwards. Later, it began being reported that Thoker had joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) – the Pakistan-based terror outfit. The sketches of some of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. News18 'Intelligence suggests he was in touch with terror outfits already and went to Pakistan to receive training. He and the other terrorists entered Kashmir late last year, together. We suspect they were hiding in various areas including Poonch-Rajouri, Doda Kishtwar, among others,' a third source told The Print. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As per NDTV, Thoker cut off all contact with his family. He remained out of sight for the next eight months. Intelligence agencies tracking his digital footprint could not find him. A surveillance operation on his home in Anantnag's Bijbehara bore no fruits either. Sources told the outlet Thoker was being given ideological and paramilitary training during this period. As per The Times of India, Thoker is also known as Adil Guri. Mastermind of Pahalgam attack As per News18, Thoker is thought to have planned the attack alongside the LeT's Saifullah Kasuri and Abu Musa. Thoker was among the terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam attack. Eyewitnesses said the terrorists went into the Pir Panjal forest afterwards. As per The Print, local intelligence had indicated Thoker was in Pahalgam just days before the attack. Thoker was seen in Rajouri's Poonch earlier this year alongside terrorists as well as last year. As per NDTV, the area is known for its difficult terrain including steep hills and dense forests. Thoker at the time was accompanied by three of four people – including Hashim Musa (alias Suleman), who is a prime accused in the Pahalgam attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thoker is thought to have been key to allowing Musa to enter India. Officials say Thoker crossed back into India last year via the Line of Control. He was thought to be active in Jammu's Doda and Kishtwar regions. As per NDTV, he is thought to have avoided security forces by using forested and mountainous routes. Sources told the outlet Thoker was seen briefly in in Kishtwar before reaching Anantnag. He is thought to have traversed the hilly belts of Tral or via tracks terrorists used before. Thoker is believed to have gone to ground in Anantnag. Intelligence said he gave refuge to at least one of the Pakistani nationals with him – either in forest encampments or hideouts in the village. Thoker at this time is thought to have gotten in touch with sleeper cells. Officials think Thoker was on the lookout for a chance to launch a high-profile attack. People stand near the debris of the house of Adil Thoker, linked to the Pahalgam terror attack, after its demolition by authorities in Bijbehara in Anantnag district. PTI At this time, India was also reopening tourist spots in the region after the Amarnath Yatra including Baisaran meadow. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Jammu and Kashmir police identified Thoker as one of the gunmen alongside Musa and Ali Bhai aka Talha Bhai, as per NDTV. The men are thought to have used the aliases of Moosa, Yunus and Asif to hide their identities. A source told The Times of India that Thoker is thought to have used his knowledge of the terrain in Baisaran to guide the terrorists. Thoker is thought to helped them traverse the area, provide shelter for them, scout the area, plan the attack and their escape route. A massive manhunt for the gunmen is on. According to News18, the houses of Thoker and Sheikh have been demolished. Explosives were supposedly found on the premises during the search operation, prompting the security forces to evacuate the occupants of the houses as well as neighbours to safety before they went off. As per The Times of India, the police in Anantnag have announced a Rs 20 lakh reward for information leading to Thoker's capture. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As per Deccan Chronicle, Thoker was also a close aide of terrorist commander Uzair Khan, who has joined the TRF under the alias 'Usman Ghazi.' Khan was killed in September 2023 in one of Jammu and Kashmir's longest anti-terror ops, as per Deccan Chronicle. India has taken a slew of steps against Pakistan including downgrading diplomatic ties, revoking of all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, expelling Pakistan's military attaches, suspension of the over six-decade-old Indus Water Treaty and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack. With inputs from agencies
News18
25-04-2025
- News18
Pahalgam Shooters Were Ordered To Kill Brutally: Exclusive From Sources On Their Training
Last Updated: Experts say the shots to vital organs or even the head show their precision, making it different from the earlier attacks in the Valley, where grenades were used The terrorists who carried out the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, killing 26 tourists, were highly trained, according to top sources. Experts say the shots to vital organs or even the head show their precision, making it different from the earlier attacks in the Valley, where grenades were used or terrorists used to flee after one or two gunshots. Adil Hussain Thoker, son of Wali Mohammad Thoker who lives in Anantnag, planned the Pahalgam attack in connivance with Lashkar-e-Toiba's commanders in Pakistan Saifullah Kasuri and Abu Musa, according to highly placed sources. Adil is currently absconding, with a massive search launched for him and his aides. 'Specific gunshots suggest you want to kill brutally," said sources, adding, 'When located in March they were not knowing Kashmiri, which means they were foreigners. Under the guidance of a local person, they strengthened their training." As per sources, Adil, now in his 20s, came into the limelight when he was seen attending the funeral of terrorists in south Kashmir in 2018. The same year, just a little more than a teen, he went to Pakistan on a Valid Travel Document (VTD) via Wagah and disappeared thereafter. Soon, there were reports he had joined the banned Pakistan-based terror group LeT. 'Adil was radicalised and his hate towards tourist was visible, possibly he told them to kill brutally," said sources. Moreover, they were aware that the reinforcements would take time to come. 'Police force came after 1.5 hours. The road, too, was bad. Foreign terrorists do whatever their guide tells them. In this case, Adil clearly knew the area and took advantage of it to cause damage," said sources. Meanwhile, armed police and soldiers searched homes and forests as part of a massive anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, as Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited the area to review security. According to the police, the searches were part of an ongoing investigation and intelligence-led efforts to dismantle the support network of terrorist outfits operating in the region. The searches took place in Anantnag district, where Pahalgam is located, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Kathua, Kulgam, Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar, and Udhampur. First Published:
India Today
25-04-2025
- India Today
In Pahalgam terror attack, one Aadil caused bloodshed, another Adil took bullets
This is the story of two Adils – one who gave up his life trying to save tourists and took three bullets in his chest and the other who opened gunfire on them in the calibrated terror attack that killed 26 people, all men, mostly the same but spelt differently by security agencies, Aadil Thokar alias Aadil Guree is of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). And Syed Adil Hussain Shah was a braveheart pony 'wallah'. The two men bookending the many shades of Kashmir, their very different lives telling the tale of conflict and also of Thokar, a resident of Guree village in Bijbehara in south Kashmir, is in his late 20s, officials said. Adil Hussain was just a little older at 30. On Thursday, the home of Aadil, a key accused in the April 22 strike in the Baisaran meadow in the upper reaches of Pahalgam, was destroyed in an it is not clear what exactly led to the blast, officials said explosives were kept inside and there was a search was a little more than a teen when he went to Pakistan on a Valid Travel Document (VTD) in 2018 and disappeared thereafter. Soon, there were reports he had joined the banned Pakistan-based terror group said he infiltrated back into India through the Line of Control in 2024 and was active in Doda and Kishtwar areas of Jammu into the attack targeting tourists – the worst in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama strike when 40 CRPF personnel were killed – indicate that the number gunmen could range from five to seven. They were helped by at least two local terrorists who received training in on the run, was one of them. He was identified by the wife of one of those least six to seven pictures were shown to eyewitnesses. One of them identified Aadil as the terrorist pulling the trigger. After that, the terrorists vanished into the thick pine jungles of Pir other young man at the centre of conversation nationwide following the Pahalgam strike has had a very different life the killer, the other the hero, loved and mourned by the sole earning member of his family, earned his living taking tourists up six kilometres on his pony from Pahalgam town to the expansive green meadow that was a must-see for all day must have started like any other for him and the family.'On Tuesday afternoon, when terrorists attacked tourists, my brother tried to stop them. A tourist whose father was killed in the attack told me about the heroic act of my brother at SMHS hospital,' said Syed Naushad, adding that the killers pumped three bullets into Adil's was the only Kashmiri killed by the armed gunmen who specifically targeted tourism, hitting at the root of the economy heavily dependent on over his death hangs like a shroud, but there is also enormous pride. Naushad said his brother's sacrifice was a 'proud moment' for the family and friends. His sister Asma said she felt a sense of foreboding.'In the morning, I told him not to go, as if I knew something bad was going to happen. But, he did not listen to me and left,' she said, describing her brother as a brave man always ready to support devastated father Syed Haider Shah said he was the kindest of his children. 'Many boys from this village go to Pahalgam to find some work but who knew this was going to happen. The terrorists killed my son only because he confronted them and told them not to harm tourists.'He said there was no mobile connectivity in Baisaran. "When he did not return in the evening, we started calling him, but nobody picked up the family was not alone in their grief. Hundreds of people gathered in his ancestral village Hapatnard in Pahalgam as he was laid to rest. Among them was Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.'I visited Pahalgam today to offer 'fatiha' (prayer after burial) for braveheart Shah, who was shot dead while trying to snatch a weapon from one of the terrorists in a courageous attempt to protect the tourists he had ferried on horseback from the parking area to Baisaran meadow.'Met his grieving family and assured them of full support — Adil (Shah) was the sole breadwinner, and his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice will forever be remembered,' the chief minister wrote in a post shared by his office on Hassan, who led the funeral prayers of Shah, lauded the sacrifice of the youth, saluted Adil for his courage and said Allah would reward him for his deeds. 'We should always be ready to die for others, whether a Sikh, Pandit or a Muslim. That is what our religion teaches us,' he credo Adil lived by – and died InTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#Jammu and Kashmir#Pakistan
News18
25-04-2025
- News18
How A Trip To Pakistan Made Anantnag's Adil The LeT Mastermind Of Pahalgam Attack
Last Updated: Eyewitnesses have identified Adil Hussain Thoker as the terrorist who pulled the trigger Adil Hussain Thoker, son of Wali Mohammad Thoker who lives in Anantnag, planned the Pahalgam attack in connivance with Lashkar-e-Toiba's commanders in Pakistan Saifullah Kasuri and Abu Musa, according to highly placed sources. The attack in Baisaran near Pahalgam on April 22 killed at least 26 tourists, shaking the entire nation and leading to India's strong response against Pakistan. Adil is currently absconding, with a massive search launched for him and his aides. 2018 TRIP TO PAKISTAN As per sources, Adil, now in his 20s, came into the limelight when he was seen attending the funeral of terrorists in south Kashmir in 2018. The same year, just a little more than a teen, he went to Pakistan on a Valid Travel Document (VTD) via Wagah and disappeared thereafter. Soon, there were reports he had joined the banned Pakistan-based terror group LeT. In mid-2024, he was seen again in Rajouri Poonch area and earlier this year with infiltrated terrorists. Officials said he infiltrated back into India through the Line of Control in 2024 and was active in Doda and Kishtwar areas of Jammu region. Inputs suggested his recent movement in the Baisaran area. Adil is associated with the Hizbul Mujhaideen (HM), but works in coordination with the LeT's The Resistance Front (TRF), which has claimed the responsibility for the attack. He was a close aide of killed terrorist Commander 'Uzair' involved in Kokernag Gadool terrorist attack. Around four-five terrorists and two local terrorists, including Adil, carried out the gruesome Pahalgam attack using US-made M-4 rifle and AK 47/56. Eyewitnesses have identified Aadil as the terrorist pulling the trigger. After that, the gunmen vanished into the thick pine jungles of Pir Panjal. Four of the terrorists were dressed in Army camouflages. Moreover, 19 OGWs hailing from Anantnag district have been identified for their role in the attack. #PahalgamTerroristAttack | Panic grips Pakistan as military sources reveal evacuation of terror launchpads pads and training camps of Jaish in response to India's strong stance post-Pahalgam attack @Arunima24 shares ,ore details #Pahalgam | @akankshaswarups — News18 (@CNNnews18) April 25, 2025 ADIL'S HOME DEMOLISHED On Thursday, Adil's home was demolished by the authorities. Though it is not clear what exactly led to the blast, officials said explosives were kept inside and there was a search operation. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a key meeting to discuss the course of action regarding the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, which has been suspended. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Paatil, and senior officials from various ministries attended the meeting in New Delhi at Shah's residence.
