NIA takes over Pahalgam terrorist attack case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the Pahalgam terror attack case from Jammu and Kashmir Police and begun its investigation into the deadly attack that resulted in the killing of 26 tourists, top sources told ANI.

The Central anti-terror agency formally registered a fresh FIR on late Saturday following an order issued from the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs considering the gravity of the case as Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba's proxy, the Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack, ANI reported,

The NIA team, led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer, had visited Baisaran on April 23, the day after the attack.

Official sources, privy to the development, told ANI that “the NIA has formally taken over the case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and stated its investigation.”

The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage. The identified operatives are reportedly affiliated with three major Pakistan-backed terror outfits: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Among them, three are associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, eight with LeT, and three with JeM.

Sources told ANI that the names of these individuals as: Adil Rehman Dentoo (21), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23), Haris Nazir (20), Aamir Nazir Wani (20), Yawar Ahmed Bhat, Asif Ahmed Khanday (24), Naseer Ahmed Wani (21), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27), Aamir Ahmed Dar, Adnan Safi Dar, Zubair Ahmed Wani (39), Haroon Rashid Ganai (32), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29).

Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: Pakistan minister says ‘ready to cooperate’ with probe ‘conducted by international inspectors’

Zubair Ahmed Wani alias Abu Ubaida alias Usman is the Chief Operational Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. He is categorised as an A active terrorist and significantly aids other terrorists and has been implicated multiple times in attacks on security forces since 2018.

Also Read: Opposition may push for a special session of Parliament to discuss Pahalgam terror attack: Sources

Haroon Rashid Ganai, an active Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist also from Anantnag, is on the search radar of security forces. He had earlier travelled to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), where he received training in 2018. He reportedly came back to South Kashmir recently. However, Zubair Ahmed Gani, a major terrorist from Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir, is associated with LeT and continuously involved in attacks on security forces and targeted killings.

Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: How a Hindu Brahmin survived by reciting Kalima, the Islamic prayer; ‘When I started...’

The identification of these local terror aides comes as agencies intensify efforts to dismantle the support networks facilitating cross-border terrorism.

Security forces have launched coordinated operations across South Kashmir, particularly in Anantnag and Pulwama districts, where many of the listed individuals are believed to be operating. Senior officials indicate that these names are part of a larger intelligence dossier being used to pre-empt further attacks and disrupt terror logistics in the Valley, ANI reported.

(With inputs from ANI)