Source : INDIATV NEWS
More than 2,000 individuals, mostly former militants and OGWs, have been detained by the police for questioning. “Many were released after preliminary questioning, but the crackdown has continued,” a local police officer confirmed.
One of the main perpetrators of the recent attack in Pahalgam has been identified as Pakistani national Hashim Musa, also known as Suleiman. Various media reports, citing NIA officials, said Musa had been active in Jammu and Kashmir for the past year and is suspected to have been involved in at least three previous attacks targeting security personnel and non-locals.
Musa is believed to be hiding in the upper regions of the Pir Panjal range, accompanied by four other terrorists who were reportedly involved in Tuesday’s assault on tourists at Baisaran meadow. Jammu and Kashmir Police have identified these individuals as Ali Bhai alias Talha (Pakistani), Asif Fauji (Pakistani), Adil Hussain Thoker (a resident of Anantnag), and Ahsan (a resident of Pulwama). Police have also released sketches of the suspects based on descriptions provided by survivors of the attack.
Authorities suspect that Musa may be collaborating with other Pakistan-backed terrorist outfits operating in the Valley, beyond Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
As part of the investigation, security agencies are examining potential links, including those involving overground workers (OGWs) associated with LeT. These OGWs are believed to have facilitated the movement of Pakistani militants from areas near the border to various districts in Kashmir over the past year, an unnamed official stated.
Investigators are also monitoring digital platforms to identify individuals in the Kashmir Valley who may have communicated with LeT and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), through encrypted messaging apps in planning attacks on non-locals.
A second official noted that some local residents and OGWs are currently being interrogated, particularly regarding Musa’s whereabouts and affiliations.
More than 2,000 individuals, mostly former militants and OGWs, have been detained by the police for questioning. “Many were released after preliminary questioning, but the crackdown has continued,” a local police officer confirmed. Authorities have also announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to the capture of the terrorists involved.
According to police, Adil Hussain Thoker had crossed into Pakistan in 2018 and returned to Jammu and Kashmir last year. The two Pakistani nationals implicated in the attack have reportedly been active in the Valley for the past two years.
Meanwhile, senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Intelligence Bureau, and other central agencies met in Delhi on Thursday to discuss enhanced measures to curb infiltration, tighten border security, and dismantle the support networks of terrorist groups.
Though TRF has claimed responsibility for the Baisaran attack, officials maintain it operates as a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Since last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has intensified its crackdown on several terrorist outfits affiliated with LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, and others. These include the Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, and the PAAF.
