Pahalgam terror attack
Jammu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two local residents for allegedly harbouring the terrorists who had carried out the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The two men – identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam – have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT),” a NIA spokesperson said.
Twenty-six people were killed in the attack and 16 others were injured. On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation, striking terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which was followed by three days of military confrontation between the two countries.
Adding that as per the probe, Parvaiz and Bashir knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack, the spokesperson said, “The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had, on the fateful afternoon, selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks ever.”
“The NIA, which has arrested the duo under section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, is further investigating the case, registered after the attack that shook the world… Further investigations in the case are continuing,” the spokesperson stated.
Earlier this month, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — the global money laundering and terror financing watchdog — condemned the “brutal terrorist attack” in Pahalgam and noted that such attacks cannot occur “without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters”.
