Pahalgam attack - Investigation after terror attack
The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), initially claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was a reaction against the increased presence of non-locals following the revocation of Kashmir’s special status. However, the group retracted its claim just four days later. TRF has been associated with multiple violent incidents in the region in the past.
Following the attack, the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted a joint cordon and search operation. Authorities imposed a temporary lockdown in Pahalgam, and Indian Army helicopters were deployed to trace the militants, who were believed to have escaped to the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal range.
On April 24, an encounter with insurgents in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur resulted in the death of one Indian soldier and injuries to two others.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, four terrorists were identified as being involved in the attack, based on descriptions provided by survivors. Among them, two were reported to be Pakistani infiltrators, while the other two were local residents who allegedly provided assistance. The identified terrorists were Ali Bhai alias Talha (Pakistani), Asif Fauji (Pakistani), Adil Hussain Thoker (from Anantnag), and Ahsan (from Pulwama).
On the same day, the police announced a reward of ₹2,000,000 (around US$30,000) for information leading to the capture or neutralization of the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack.
Authorities confirmed that all four terrorists had ties to Lashkar-e-Taiba, with at least two being foreign nationals. They were also linked to previous militant activities in the Poonch region. In the aftermath, law enforcement interrogated numerous former overground workers and ex-militants in Kashmir.
Authorities are also searching for Hashim Moosa, a former para-commando from Pakistan’s Special Service Group who joined Lashkar-e-Taiba and has been linked to several terror attacks since infiltrating India in 2023. He has been associated with at least six attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including a fatal assault in Ganderbal that claimed seven lives and another in Baramulla that killed four security personnel. Authorities aim to capture him alive to confirm Pakistan’s involvement.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India launched an official investigation after visiting the site on April 23.
Indian officials linked the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan, citing digital evidence that pointed to safe houses located in Muzaffarabad and Karachi. Forensic data and intelligence intercepts indicated possible support from Pakistan-based operatives. In response, Indian security forces demolished the homes of suspected militants. The NIA also revealed that senior officials from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had directed the attack.
On April 26, a new First Information Report (FIR) was filed by the central anti-terrorism agency as ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ counter-terrorism and counter-radicalization division.
Separately, an investigation by journalists from ThePrint found that Maxar experienced a significant rise in demand for high-resolution satellite imagery of the Pahalgam area two months prior to the attack. This surge occurred around the time Maxar partnered with Business Systems International (BSI), a Pakistani geospatial firm whose owner, Obaidullah Syed, was previously convicted of illegally exporting computer equipment and software to Pakistani government entities.
Authorities are also searching for Hashim Moosa, a former para-commando from Pakistan’s Special Service Group who joined Lashkar-e-Taiba and has been linked to several terror attacks since infiltrating India in 2023. He has been associated with at least six attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including a fatal assault in Ganderbal that claimed seven lives and another in Baramulla that killed four security personnel. Authorities aim to capture him alive to confirm Pakistan’s involvement.
The attack sparked widespread protests in Kashmir, including in Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian, Pahalgam, Anantnag, Baramulla, and other towns, with residents expressing grief and condemning the violence as an affront to Kashmiriyat. Shops and businesses closed in solidarity. On April 25, during his Friday sermon at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed solidarity with the victims, and a minute of silence was observed before prayers in their memory.