The probe so far has indicated a lack of intelligence on the infiltration and mushrooming of foreign terrorists in dormant areas
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| Namrata Biji Ahuja, TW, April 29, 2025: The sketch of Pakistani terrorist Hashim Musa (Right) Security personnel keep vigil, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in Srinagar | PTI |
In October 2024, terrorists killed seven civilians working at a construction site in Gagangeer of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The same month terrorists targeted an Indian Army vehicle in the Bota Pathri region of Baramulla district, as it was en route to the Nagin post in the Affarwat range close to tourist hotspot Gulmarg, killing army personnel and porters.
Now, the terrorist strike on tourists in Pahalgam has once again brought focus back on the perpetrators of terror operating from Pakistan over the last year.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Pahalgam terror attack, is trying to join the dots between Gagangeer, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. The probe so far has revealed that Pakistani terrorist Hashim Musa alias Suleiman is the common link to these attacks as technical evidence has revealed his common involvements in all three modules.
Sleuths are not ruling out Musa’s involvement with other Pakistan-backed terror groups operating in the Valley other than the Lashkar-e-Taiba as cross-pollination of terrorists is being used to keep the pot boiling in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the modus operandi has been the same in all three attacks as all the casualties that have taken place recently, are in areas which have been declared safe. “The aim of the adversary has been to discredit government achievement as far as infrastructure and development is concerned as it justifies the abrogation of article 370,” said a senior security official.
Sleuths however found that the modus operandi and the weapons used by the terrorists this time were more sophisticated, supported with night vision devices, MP3 machine guns, AK 47s and other weaponry in their kitty. The module was better trained, with good fire discipline, recce and better planning. The three attacks may have been geographically apart but were sensational enough to keep the forces confused.
While the collection of evidence and search for the terrorists remains key to unravelling the entire cross-border terror conspiracy, the probe so far has indicated a lack of intelligence on infiltration and mushrooming of the foreign terrorists in dormant areas. The gaps were exploited by terrorists to enter in a short span, said sources, and the fact that they could remain hidden for a long period, to strike and hide again remains the biggest challenge for security forces. While the busting of the local network of overground workers will lend clues to investigators, the manhunt of the network of wanted Pakistani terrorists is the focus of counter-terror commandos of the JK police and Indian Army.
