Daijiworld Media Network- Srinagar
Srinagar, Apr 24: In a chilling revelation, investigative agencies have identified five terrorists — three of them Pakistani nationals — involved in the brutal Pahalgam terror attack that shook South Kashmir earlier this week. The strike, termed the deadliest in the region in nearly 20 years, has prompted intensified efforts by central and state security forces to hunt down the perpetrators.
According to sources familiar with the probe, the three Pakistani nationals have been identified as Asif Fauji alias Moosa, Suleman Shah alias Yunus, and Abu Talha alias Asif. The two remaining operatives — Adil Guri from Bijbehara and Ahsan from Pulwama — are natives of Jammu and Kashmir who had crossed over to Pakistan in 2018 for arms training, before infiltrating back into the Valley recently.
Officials privy to the investigation revealed that Fauji and Shah had already been active in the Jammu and Kashmir region for some time, with their names cropping up in previous attacks, including the deadly ambush in Poonch district.
In a disturbing detail from the preliminary findings, the assailants reportedly forced civilians in the Baisaran meadow area to verify their religious identity by reciting Islamic prayers or showing circumcision marks — a grim tactic reminiscent of past sectarian violence in the region.
As part of the intensified manhunt, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have released sketches of three suspects and announced a cash reward of ?20 lakh for credible information leading to their arrest.
One of the prime suspects, code-named Moosa, is believed to have played a key role in the May 2024 assault on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch, officials said. With no surveillance cameras near the attack site, investigators are relying heavily on survivor testimonies and local inputs.
The attackers are suspected to have escaped into the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range post the carnage.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team, under the leadership of IG Vijay Sakhare, has taken charge of the investigation and is currently stationed in Srinagar. The federal probe agency is working in close coordination with the J&K Police.
Meanwhile, security agencies are also probing the possible involvement of Saifullah Kasuri — a top aide of Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed. In a provocative video dated February 2 this year, Kasuri had declared that Kashmir would become "the land of the pure" by 2026 and warned of intensified militant action.
The Pahalgam attack has once again underscored the persisting threat of cross-border terrorism in the Valley and the need for enhanced vigilance along infiltration routes.