There is a probe underway into the possible involvement of a top Lashkar commander, Saifullah Kasuri alias Saifullah Khalid,

Rs 20 Lakh Reward Announced for Info on Attackers; Three Believed to Be From Pakistan, latest news:

 At least five terrorists are suspected to have opened fire in Tuesday’s attack in Pahalgam, with three believed to be from Pakistan and the other two locals, The Indian Express reported, citing sources, eyewitness accounts, and intelligence inputs.

“The Urdu spoken by the foreign terrorists was characteristic of certain regions in Pakistan… At least two local militants are suspected to be accompanying them,” an officer from the security establishment told the publication.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police also announced a rupees 20 lakh reward for information on each attacker.

“Any information leading to the neutralization of the terrorists involved in this cowardly attack shall be rewarded with rupees 20 lakh. The identity of the informer shall be kept strictly confidential,” the police said.

All the attackers are believed to have escaped to the higher altitudes of the Pir Panjal range, and a joint search operation is currently underway by the Army, central paramilitary forces, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

According to the report, highly placed sources revealed that one of the suspects is believed to have been involved in an attack on an IAF convoy, which claimed the life of a corporal-rank personnel last year.

The local suspects are believed to be from Kulgam district. They had reportedly gone to Pakistan in 2017 and returned to India last year.

“The two others are believed to be from Bijbehara and Thokerpora in Kulgam. They went to Pakistan in 2017 and returned to the Valley last year. Information suggests that they received training in Pakistan. They were associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed, and initial investigations indicate that Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish collaborated to carry out this attack,” said a highly credible source from a central agency, as quoted in the report.

There is a probe underway into the possible involvement of a top Lashkar commander, Saifullah Kasuri alias Saifullah Khalid, the report said. Khalid has been linked to several terror attacks in the past and is a close ally of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the report added, citing its sources.

The attackers are also believed to have been wearing body cameras, which a Jammu and Kashmir Police official described as a “normal practice these days.”

“All attacks in Jammu over the past three years have been recorded using body or gun-mounted cameras. These videos are then used for propaganda purposes. The LeT has released propaganda material using such footage,” the officer added.

The police said that the information about how the attackers infiltrated Kashmir and how long they had been there is still being ascertained. They added that any signs of infiltration are being examined along the border and all details are under verification.

Senior officers from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the crime scene in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam yesterday, where the attack took place and claimed 28 lives—mostly Hindu tourists from various states, a local resident, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a 29-year-old pony operator, and there are reports of foreign nationals killed in the attack  and its exact number is not confirmed yet.

According to the report, a source stated that a team of senior NIA officers, led by an Inspector General-rank officer, has been tasked with assisting the local police and examining the statements of all witnesses.

The FIR, as quoted in the report, reads, “The police station has received information through reliable sources that unidentified terrorists, under the direction of their handlers across the border and armed with illegal weapons, opened indiscriminate fire on tourists.”

An officer investigating the case told the news outlet, “This is a large and dense forest area that connects Hapatnar on one side to Chandanwari on the other. Depending on which route the terrorists took while fleeing, they could have even reached Tral.”

When asked why the security agencies failed to track the movement of terrorists in such a heavily visited tourist area, an officer told the news outlet that terrorist tactics have evolved significantly, making surveillance and tracking increasingly difficult for security forces.

“For example, there isn’t a single local terrorist currently active in the entire Anantnag district,” he told the outlet. “We had some intelligence inputs indicating possible movement, but not specifically in this area. We were anticipating an attempt to carry out an attack on railway infrastructure or non-local workers, and preventive measures had been taken accordingly,” he added.

The officer further explained that the terrorists now operate in small groups and avoid detection by remaining in the jungles—even in sub-zero temperatures.

“They don’t use electronic gadgets, so there’s no way to gather technical intelligence. Moreover, they constantly keep moving. For instance, if we get input about a group on the ridges of Sonamarg, by the time we respond, they may have already shifted. Within a few days, they could be in the upper reaches of Pahalgam or even Bandipore. It’s all interconnected through dense forest routes,” the officer said.

As of now, India has taken five major steps in response to the inhumane attack, one of which is the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries.

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