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NDTV
01-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pahalgam Terrorists Still In South Kashmir, Have Food, Provisions: Sources
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The four terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed, remain on the run. NIA sources said they may be hiding in dense forests in south Kashmir and use encrypted communications devices. New Delhi: The four terrorists who shot and killed 26 people in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on April 22, and who have been on the run since - evading a massive manhunt involving the military and local police - are likely still in the area, sources in the National Investigation Agency have told NDTV. NIA sources said the terrorists may be 'self-reliant', i.e., be carrying provisions, and therefore stay hidden in the dense forests, which could explain why they had avoided detection so far. This would also obviate the need for external logistical support that would most likely be provided by Pakistan, which New Delhi has accused of involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Anti-terror agency NIA has taken over the investigation into the worst terror attack in India in recent years, certainly since February 2019, when 40 soldiers were killed in J&K's Pulwama. Initial inquiries indicate the terrorists were present in Baisaran Valley - a picturesque meadow and tourist hotspot near Pahalgam and where the attack took place - at least 48 hours earlier. NIA sources said OGWs, or Over Ground Workers, or terrorist sympathisers, interrogated after the attack said they recced four other locations. These included the Aru and Betaab valleys. READ | Terrorists Scouted 3 Other J&K Sites Before Pahalgam Attack: Sources But all of them were heavily guarded and so the terrorists picked Baisaran. Questions have since been asked by the opposition about the lack of military presence, as a deterrent. Intelligence agencies believe the terrorists had advanced comms equipment; Major General Yash Mor, a retired defence expert who served in Kashmir, had flagged this to NDTV. NDTV Exclusive | Pahalgam Attack Explained By Defence Expert Who Was In J&K The equipment used, sources said, did not need SIM cards and was capable of short-range encrypted transmissions, making it difficult, if not impossible, for it to be intercepted. As many as three satellite phones were reportedly used by the terrorists, possibly to mask their positions and keep Indian security forces off guard till the attack, which began at 1.15 pm. The attack plan was simple - three terrorists sprang from hiding places around Baisaran to open fire at the tourists, while the fourth stayed hidden to provide back-up, if necessary. Deserted scenes from Baisaran Valley, the attack site. Sources have said there may even have been other terrorists hiding nearby. Witnesses reported the terrorists interrogated some victims - all of whom were men - asking them to recite Islamic verses. Those who failed were shot at point-blank range. Horrific videos from after the attack soon emerged online, showing women with their faces covered in the blood of their husbands and partners, pleading for help. One terrorist sneered at a woman whose husband he had just killed, saying, " Go tell (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi." Among the 26 men who were killed was a Nepali citizen. Another was a Navy officer on his honeymoon; he had been married less than a week ago. Yet another was a 70-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh. A fourth was a 35-year-old Karnataka family man who begged for his life. READ | "Telling The World...": PM's Big Warning On Terror, In English The attack was met with horror from around the world, and Mr Modi vowed vengeance, not just against those who pulled the triggers but also those who planned the attack. Terrorism's evil agenda would not be allowed to succeed, he said, putting Pak and its terror network on notice. India's initial response was a flurry of diplomatic restrictions, including expelling Pak nationals from the country and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty. The IWT is a critical water-sharing deal that supplies Pakistan, also an agrarian nation, with over 80 per cent of its water supply. Pak responded by also expelling Indians and suspending the Simla Agreement. The two countries have also shut their airspaces to the other's planes. India is also expected to launch a military response. On Wednesday the PM chaired a high-level meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. Sources said Mr Modi gave the armed forces the greenlight to plan and execute a counterattack. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire agreement. This morning the Pak Army carried out unprovoked small arms fire in the Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor sectors, drawing a proportionate response from India. This is the seventh straight night of Pak fire.
NDTV
23-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pahalgam Attack Explained By Defence Expert Who Served In Kashmir 20 Years Ago
The Pahalgam attack shocked the nation and the world, drawing condemnation from Russia and China, as well as the US, Israel, and many European nations. The scale and precision of the Pahalgam terror attack - in which three terrorists linked to an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba murdered 26 people in a matter of minutes, then disappeared into the forest - emphasises the role Pak's security agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, plays in equipping, training, and arming jihadis, defence expert Major General Yash Mor (retd) told NDTV. That the establishment in Pakistan arms, trains, and otherwise supports terrorists acting against India is not an unknown factor; New Delhi has repeatedly warned the global community of state-sponsored terrorism - at civilian and military targets - from across the border. Advertisement - Scroll to continue Indeed, in the hours after the attack there were whispers that Pak-based terror agencies had scouted potential targets in parts of J&K, including Pahalgam, in the first week of April. But the devastation in Pahalgam, and the fact that 24 hours later (at the time of publication) there has been no contact with the terrorists, underscores the extent of battlefield awareness, endurance and weapons training, and logistical support at the disposal of the terrorists. And the finger points towards Pakistan. 'Military Training, Planning...' "All this is not possible unless they have military training... and have equipment supplied by military personnel," the Major General, who served in Kashmir 20 years ago, told NDTV. Major General Mor told NDTV that even when he was in the field, two decades ago, the quality of comms equipment available to terrorists was surprisingly high. And that quality has only increased since, he indicated, "And now, I believe, it is something that can't even be hacked." "I have seen many groups that are ragtag... but these people, their attack and equipment, all points to Pak's ISI. Without them you can't even get some of the equipment since most is imported. And then, to bring it all the way to south Kashmir, which is not even near the border, and escape detection for so long, requires solid logistics support and good strategic planning." The Resistance Front? Meanwhile, the attack itself has been claimed by The Resistance Front, a Lashkar proxy. But the name, he insists, is not important. "They keep changing their names to avoid sanctions, to avoid detection. If one group becomes too known they come up with different names, especially those, like 'Resistance Front' that strike a chord with Western audiences." Sketches of three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack. What is important, though, he stressed, is the sophistication of equipment, particularly radio sets; weapons and battlefield training; and levels of physical fitness, which are crucial to carry large packs over mountainous terrain at speed to avoid detection, before or after an attack. Pak Army Regulars? And that brought up the question - were these attackers, or any of the others who have killed Indians in the past, drawn directly from the Pakistan Army? Were they Pak Army regulars? "Very difficult to say... I don't think Pakistan will take that chance, but they may be people who have left the service or paramilitary commando candidates drawn aside and given special training. It could even be a selection of jihadis... but they all receive training." "You need tremendous endurance and physical fitness, you have to be trained to operate radios and weapons systems, you have to be trained to plan and coordinate attacks. This can't be done in a couple of days or months, and this can't be done without specialist military help." On India's War On Terror The Pahalgam attack has shocked the nation. It has shocked the world, drawing condemnation from Russia and China, as well as the US, Israel, and many European nations. The Kashmir narrative since the government scrapped Article 370 in August 2019 has been a positive one; there has been development, employment, and infrastructure creation. But the spectre of terrorism and terrorist activities continued - through last year, for example, there were a string of attacks on civilians and migrant workers. Many of these, though, were classified as 'lone wolf' strikes - i.e., unconnected, one-off attacks by terrorist sleeper cells. However, the last time there was a coordinated, large-scale attack like this was February 2019, when 40 soldiers from the CRPF, or Central Reserve Police Force, were slaughtered in Pulwama. Scenes from the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019. So does the Pahalgam attack signal a step back in the fight against terrorism in J&K? "I wouldn't say we are back to square one... what I will say, and said after Pulwama and Uri and other incidents, is that we need to carry out a thorough investigation... to fix responsibility." And that was a key part of Major General Mor's message on Pahalgam - that as much as the government must rely on technology, it needs also to focus on 'human intelligence', on building a network of informants who can deliver accurate information about terrorist movements. 'Human Intelligence' "We have the best intel agencies here - the Intelligence Bureau and military intelligence, for example, and I'm telling you I've seen J&K Police also do fantastic work. But the most important thing we are missing... something close to my heart... is human intelligence." A renewed focus on HUMINT, or human intelligence, which is basically gathering information through person-to-person contacts, spies, and other forms of espionage, and even old-fashioned interviews, was flagged by the government in August last year. Back then the government said it was refining the security matrix in J&K to counter terrorists switching to encrypted messaging apps for communication. It was time, sources told NDTV then, to reinforce the HUMINT network in Kashmir to complement tech-based info mining. Major General Mor emphasised the importance of that shift, telling NDTV, "Technology gives limited support... it is human intelligence that will win this war." However, he also offered a cautionary note, and said it takes time to cultivate sources and win their trust. "For this, you need to be close to the people. The centre of gravity in any situation like this is the local people... but it takes time to get such intel. It takes six months to create one good source." And once data is gathered, the Major General highlighted the need to be "faster than these guys", meaning rapid troop movement, once there is actionable intel, is needed to win the war. Sign up to read this article FREE! Exclusive Stories: Dive into content reserved just for members. Fewer Ads: A cleaner, more enjoyable reading experience. Enhanced Interface: Tailored just for you. Join Now – It's Free!
