NIA intensifies probe into Pahalgam attack
PAHALGAM: Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sadanand Date on Thursday visited the Pahalgam terror attack site as the agency intensified the probe into one of the most severe civilian-targeted terror attacks in the Kashmir Valley in nearly two decades.
The agency has made serious leads indicating that a network of terrorists is still active in South Kashmir. Furthermore, details acquired from an Over Ground Worker (OGW) indicated other armed men could have been stationed at a distance during the attack — very likely ready to give cover fire in case security forces reacted instantly.
The NIA officially registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) on the directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation Division, citing the seriousness and cross-border nature of the attack. Pakistan-sponsored proxy outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), a spin-off of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has taken responsibility.
The agency is making a forensic sweep of the scene and examining CCTV footage to chart the movement of the attackers and the facilitators.
In a concurrent development, intelligence agencies have spotted 14 domestic militants suspected of providing operational and logistical assistance to foreign terrorists. These 20- to 40-year-old men are allegedly members of three principal Pakistan-sponsored terror groups: eight members of LeT, three members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and three members of Hizbul Mujahideen. The handlers have been associated with operations including transportation and hideouts to provide arms and strategic information.
Among those under arrest are a number of well-known individuals in Anantnag and Pulwama districts, which have now been placed under very high surveillance. Conducted counter-terror operations have already started in the regions, as security forces seek to stop any other such attacks and disrupt militant supply lines.
With the summer tourist season approaching, security forces are now under pressure to restore a sense of safety and confidence across Kashmir’s prime travel corridors.
