The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken charge of the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, opening a careful inquiry into the unfortunate attack in which 26 tourists lost their lives.
The central terrorist investigating agency lodged a new First Information Report (FIR) on Saturday late evening, upon a direction passed by the Ministry of Home Affairs' Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) wing. This decision was taken with respect to the severity of the incident because Resistance Front (TRF), being an agency proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has taken the responsibility for conducting the attack.
The NIA took over the probe five days after the attack and four days after its first team had visited the attack site to help local police. The team, led by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General, visited Baisaran meadow on April 23, one day after the attack.
Sources close to development revealed that NIA has formally taken over the case and began conducting an independent probe. The agency will scrutinize the crime scene, conduct a forensic probe, and endeavour to ascertain individuals responsible for carrying out the bloodbath.
The attack, which took place at about 2 PM on April 22 at Baisaran in the vicinity of Pahalgam, injured more than three dozen people, one of them a Nepali national. In retaliation, helicopters were pressed into service to ferry the injured.
This disaster comes at a time when Kashmir has seen an upsurge in tourism after years of turbulence. The state is also gearing up for the forthcoming 38-day long Amarnath Yatra, which is set to begin on July 3.
At the same time, security agencies have pointed out a roster of 14 local militants thought to be abetting Pakistani terrorists by giving logistical and operational support. The agents, ranging between 20 to 40 years of age, are said to be linked with three Pakistan-supported terror organizations: Hizbul Mujahideen, LeT, and JeM.
The people so identified are:
- **Adil Rehman Dentoo (21)** – Sopore district commander for LeT
- **Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28)** – JeM district commander in Awantipora
- **Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23)** – Active LeT member in Pulwama
- **Haris Nazir (20)** – LeT member in Pulwama
- **Aamir Nazir Wani (20)** – JeM operative in Pulwama
- **Yawar Ahmed Bhat** – Active JeM member in Pulwama
- **Asif Ahmed Khanday (24)** – Hizbul Mujahideen operative from Shopian
- **Naseer Ahmed Wani (21)** – LeT operative from Shopian
- **Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27)** – Linked to LeT and TRF in Shopian
- **Aamir Ahmed Dar** – LeT aide operating in Shopian
- **Adnan Safi Dar** – Works for LeT and TRF in Shopian
- **Zubair Ahmed Wani (39)** – Anantnag Chief Operational Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen
- **Haroon Rashid Ganai (32)** – Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir-trained Hizbul Mujahideen operative
- **Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29)** – Active member of LeT from Kulgam
Some of these have been responsible for significant attacks on security personnel and civilians in the past.
Intelligence agencies are carrying out collective operations along South Kashmir, especially in the districts of Anantnag and Pulwama, in a bid to neutralize these handlers and break their overground support systems.
Investigators feel confident that there's a direct connect between these domestic militants and five perpetrators of the Pahalgam massacre. Three Pakistani citizens—Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha—were already named from the group as well as Valley-based handlers, Adil Guri and Ahsan, by the authorities. A ₹20 lakh bounty has been released for the catch of each accused.
The intensified operations indicate the need for serious efforts to eradicate terror infrastructure prior to events such as the Amarnath Yatra in order to guarantee safety for residents as well as visitors.
