Srinagar. Security agencies are sure that the Pahalgam attack was carried out by four terrorists, two of whom were from the valley. The official said, “We have confirmed that the identity of the suspects matches the details of the Kashmiris traveling from the attic border of Pakistan… Two people from South Kashmir went to Pakistan, but there is no record of their return. There is a possibility that they return to India from the Kathua region of Jammu.” On April 22, 22 people, including a foreigner, were brutally murdered in a terrorist attack in Basaron Valley of Pahalgam.
Officials told ‘The Indian Express’ on the condition of anonymity that it has also been learned that these two local terrorist got mixed with tourists before the attack. In fact, he gathered tourists in a food court complex, where the other two terrorists, who are suspected to be from Pakistan, fired closely on them. He further said, “Clearly, the terrorists were around Basaron for 4-5 days, and it could not be possible without the support of some local people.”
Intelligence agencies also caught signs of wireless cutter, which showed that these terrorists were in that area. But intelligence agencies could not catch the conversation of these terrorists as they were using special communication devices. The government is worried about the fact that armed terrorists are “roaming around.” Security forces have recovered advance weapons like sniper rifle, M-series rifle, armor-piorsing bullets from encounter sites-many of which are suspected to have ammunition of NATO soldiers in Afghanistan.
The security agencies and the government had received advance intelligence information about the possible attack on tourists staying in Srinagar and its surrounding hotels, before the terrorists killed 25 tourists and a local person in the Pahalgam massacre, the officials associated with the case said. Officials said security was increased in the foothills of the Zabarwan hills near Dal Lake and the Mughal Garden of Srinagar in view of the danger of the attack. A top officer said on the condition of anonymity, “The high police officer, including the Director General of Police, was camping in the valley a few days before the attack.”
The official said, “The security agencies, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police, had received intelligence. They were fearing an attack. However, a source of Jammu and Kashmir Police said that intelligence information was not clear and it was revealed only after the incident.