Pahalgam terror attack: 26/11 attacks mastermind and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed behind one of deadliest massacres?
PTC Web Desk: In one of the deadliest terrorist attacks since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, 26 persons were killed in a coordinated assault in Baisaran valley near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack has exposed the operations of a long-running terror module affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), bringing renewed focus to cross-border terrorism and escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The massacre, which occurred at three separate locations within the picturesque Baisaran valley, involved heavily armed militants who engaged victims in brief conversations before opening fire. According to eyewitnesses, five persons were shot dead together in one area, two were killed in an open field, and others were targeted near fencing around the valley. Those who managed to leap over the fence reportedly survived.
This lethal attack was executed by a battle-hardened group associated with the proscribed LeT outfit. The module consists mostly of foreign terrorists but is supported by local terrorists and overground workers (OGWs) from the Valley. Intelligence inputs suggest that the group operates under the command of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, with assistance from his deputy Saifullah. Both are believed to be operating from Pakistan.
Indian intelligence agencies assert that the group receives ideological, logistical, and tactical backing from Pakistan’s military and intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This assertion has further strained diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Security agencies believe that this terror module has been active in Jammu and Kashmir for several years, orchestrating high-profile attacks across the region. Notable incidents include the October 2024 terror strike in Boota Pathri, which killed four persons, including two Indian Army personnel. In the same month, six tunnel construction workers and a doctor were shot dead in Sonamarg. Hashim Musa, one of the main accused in the recent Pahalgam massacre, is also a key suspect in the Sonamarg attack.
Following the Sonamarg killings, a major breakthrough came in December 2024 when security forces neutralised A category Lashkar terrorist Junaid Ahmed Bhatt from Kulgam during an encounter in Dachigam. Despite his death, other module members managed to escape and went underground, retreating to forest hideouts to await further instructions from their handlers across the border.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have released sketches of three suspects involved in the Pahalgam attack. Two of them have been identified as Pakistani nationals—Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha. The third suspect, Abdul Hussain Thokar, hails from Anantnag, Kashmir. A reward of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for credible information leading to their arrest. On Thursday, the police also uncovered a hideout used by the group in nearby forests.
- With inputs from agencies
