They were reportedly in regular contact with their handlers across the border, receiving detailed instructions.
Pahalgam terror attack, NIA Confirms Lashkar-e-Taiba, ISI, and Pakistan Army's Role, latest news: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and the Pakistan Army in the Pahalgam terror attack on the meadows of Baisaran, which claimed 26 lives on April 22 and left many others injured, according to a preliminary report cited by The Indian Express.
According to the report, the federal anti-terror agency has identified individuals who allegedly provided "logistic support" to the attackers. These individuals are Overground Workers (OGWs) from Kashmir, and they are currently being interrogated, the report added, citing sources.
As of now, about 2,800 individuals have been interrogated, with more than 150 still in custody, including suspect OGWs and individuals linked to banned groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami and various Hurriyat factions, the report stated.
Two of the OGWs have been identified as Nisar Ahmad alias Haji and Mushtaq Hussain, alleged associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and are currently detained at Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu. These two OGWs were arrested earlier for assisting terrorists in attacks on Army convoys in Bhata Dhurian and Totagali.
According to the NIA’s preliminary report, the Pahalgam terror attack was orchestrated by LeT, with active support and direction from Pakistani state agencies, including the ISI and the Pakistan Army.
The two main suspects — Hashmi Musa, also known as Suleman, and Ali Bhai, also known as Talha Bhai — have been identified as Pakistani nationals. They were reportedly in regular contact with their handlers across the border, receiving detailed instructions related to logistics, timing, and execution of the attack.
According to the preliminary report by the NIA, the attackers entered India weeks before carrying out the attack. After their entry around April 15, they were sheltered by a network of Overground Workers. The attackers assessed four potential sites for the attack, as reported by The Indian Express: Baisaran Valley, Aru Valley, Betaab Valley, and a local amusement park. Baisaran Valley was ultimately chosen due to the absence of security forces in the area.
"Satellite phone activity in the region spiked in the days leading up to the attack. At least three satellite phones were operational in and around Baisaran, and signals from two have been traced and analyzed," a source was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, an intense search operation is underway across the dense forest areas in Baisaran Valley, Taranau Haptgund, Dawroo, and surrounding regions.
