Srinagar: The terrorists who carried out the massacre of 26 people at the Baisaran Meadows near Pahalgam on April 22 apparently fired in the air to celebrate the heinous act. This was revealed to investigating agencies by eyewitnesses.
This celebration was held even as women wept next to the bodies of their dead or dying husbands, crying out for help, and children cowered in fear. It adds to the cold-blooded nature of the crime.
According to officials, a breakthrough in the probe has come from a crucial eyewitness, described by them as a ‘valuable source of intelligence’ for the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The eyewitness, a local service provider, confronted by the terrorists moments after the attack, has provided vital information that is helping in piecing together the sequence of events.
The eyewitness has reported that the two locals arrested by the NIA for providing logistical support to the terrorists, were present at the meadows during the attack. The two were reportedly managing the belongings of the three terrorists on site.
From eyewitness accounts, the NIA has come to know that one of the terrorists involved in the attack is Sulaiman, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander. He is wanted in connection with three other terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, including the dastardly attack on the Z-Morh tunnel construction agency.
Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha had recently admitted that the Pahalgam terror attack was a ‘security failure’. He had also pointed to the lack of necessary infrastructure at the much-visited tourist spot in the Valley. There are no shelters or structures to house security personnel.
The Baisaran Meadows is also not connected to Pahalgam – about 6.5 km away – by a proper road. People can either walk or take a pony to Baisaran from Pahalgam. The journey takes 45-50 minutes. The terrorists took advantage of this, knowing fully well that security forces would take at least an hour to reach the spot after being informed.
