Srinagar: Authorities have released sketches of three terrorists involved in Tuesday’s gruesome attack on tourists at Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Twenty-six tourists from across the country were killed and several others injured in what turned out to be a selective killing of non-Muslims.
The three terrorists have been identified as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) prepared the sketches, based on eye-witness reports. The three were part of a group of 5-6 terrorists who emerged from the dense pine forest around the Baisaran meadow, where the tourists were enjoying themselves.
Security agencies have said that the attackers include terrorists from Pakistan who had infiltrated the valley just days before and had teamed up with local operatives. Top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Saifullah Kasuri has been named as the mastermind behind the attack.
The NIA’s probe, so far, has established the use of AK series rifles and carried advanced communication devices. They also wore body cams and helmet-mounted cameras to record the entire sequence of events.
“This was a pre-planned attack. The terrorists had carried out a recce of the location in advance. They were well stocked with dry fruits and medicines. Two of the terrorists spoke Pashto, indicating their Pakistani origin, while two of them – identified as Adil and Asif – are Kashmiris from Bijbehara and Tral,” an official said.
The digital footprints collected by the NIA have been traced to safe houses in Karachi and Muzaffarabad, making the cross-border link clear.
Security forces, meanwhile, have launched a major ‘search and destroy’ operation in search of the terrorists. Drones have been put to use to try and locate the group that is likely to move towards the Line of Control.
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