Pahalgam Terror Attack: Police Release Sketches, Identify Suspects and Launch Massive Crackdown
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday released sketches of the four terrorists believed to be behind the recent deadly attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, the majority of them tourists.
The sketches were prepared based on eyewitness accounts provided by survivors. According to security officials, the attack was carried out by a group of four militants — two foreign nationals from Pakistan and two locals from Kashmir — who are believed to have facilitated the assault.
The individuals identified by the police include:
- Ali Bhai alias Talha (Pakistani)
- Asif Fauji (Pakistani)
- Adil Hussain Thoker (resident of Anantnag)
- Ahsan (resident of Pulwama)
A fifth individual, Hashim Musa alias Suleiman, a Pakistani national, has emerged as a key suspect. Officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) say Musa had been operating in the Kashmir Valley for over a year and is suspected of being involved in at least three previous attacks on security personnel and civilians.
Investigators believe he could be affiliated with Pakistan-based terror outfits beyond just the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Sources within the security establishment also revealed that Adil Thoker, though a resident of Anantnag, had crossed into Pakistan in 2018 and returned to Jammu and Kashmir in 2023, likely trained and radicalized.
In a significant crackdown following the attack, security forces have detained more than 2,000 individuals, mostly former militants and known overground workers (OGWs), for questioning.
While many have since been released after preliminary interrogation, the detentions are part of a broader effort to dismantle the support network believed to be aiding terror groups in the region.
Intelligence agencies are now combing through digital communication records and encrypted messaging apps to trace potential links between LeT, its proxy outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), and local individuals suspected of helping foreign militants navigate the region.
Special focus is being placed on identifying those who may have assisted in the movement of infiltrators from the border to the Valley’s interior.
To bolster the investigation, the police have announced a ₹20 lakh reward for credible information leading to the arrest of the attackers.
Meanwhile, senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Intelligence Bureau, and other central security agencies convened high-level meetings to discuss strategies to prevent further infiltrations, strengthen border surveillance, and target logistical and human support networks used by militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
