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Authorities have identified five terrorists involved in the deadly Pahalgam attack, which left the region shaken.
The attackers included three Pakistani nationals and two residents of Jammu and Kashmir, sparking intense efforts by security agencies to apprehend them.
This attack marks one of the worst terrorist incidents to strike the region in nearly two decades.
Terrorists Identified As Pakistani Nationals And Locals
Investigation agencies have named the three Pakistani nationals as Asif Fauji (code name Moosa), Suleman Shah (code name Yunus), and Abu Talha (code name Asif).
The two local operatives have been identified as Adil Guri, a resident of Bijbehara in Anantnag who travelled to Pakistan in 2018, and Ahsan, a resident of Pulwama, who also went to Pakistan the same year.
Cross-Border Terrorism And Infiltration
The Kashmiri operatives received years of training in Pakistan before infiltrating India. Fauji and Shah, who had been operating in Jammu and Kashmir for some time, were reportedly involved in previous attacks, including one in Poonch.
Investigators believe the group had planned this attack meticulously and managed to escape into the higher ranges of the Pir Panjal after the strike.
Attackers Forced Civilians To Prove Religious Identity
According to preliminary findings from central agencies, the attackers targeted civilians in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow and demanded they prove their religious identity.
Survivors testified that the terrorists asked men to recite Islamic prayers or show physical markers such as circumcision.
Investigation And Reward For Information
The Jammu and Kashmir authorities have already released sketches of three suspects and announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for anyone who provides information leading to their capture.
Central intelligence agencies have also identified Moosa as one of the attackers, linking him to previous attacks, including a May 2024 assault on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch.
Meanwhile, there are challenges in an investigation, with no CCTV coverage in the vicinity of the attack, investigators are relying heavily on survivor testimonies.
They suspect the attackers fled into the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal range after the assault.
National Investigation Agency Takes Over Probe
Inspector General Vijay Sakhare leads a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) currently stationed in Srinagar to conduct an in-depth investigation.
The NIA has already taken charge of the case, with assistance from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Investigating Ties To Lashkar-e-Toiba
Authorities are also looking into the role of Saifullah Kasuri, a deputy of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed.
In a video shared on social media earlier this year, Kasuri made threatening statements about intensifying attacks in Kashmir and declared that the region would be ‘freed’ by 2026.
Investigators are probing his possible involvement in orchestrating this attack.
The investigation continues as authorities work to bring the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack to justice and dismantle the terror network operating in the region.
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