NEW DELHI, July 15: The deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, was part of a “closely guarded conspiracy” directed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and executed by the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), security sources have revealed. According to reports, the plan was approved at the highest political and military levels in Pakistan.
The sources said ISI instructed LeT commander Sajid Jutt to deploy only foreign terrorists and avoid involving Kashmiri militants to ensure complete secrecy. The attack was carried out on a strict “need-to-know” basis to limit the risk of intelligence leaks. “No local terrorist was in the loop on the exact details of the operation,” a senior official told news agency.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack. Indian agencies maintain that TRF is used by Pakistan to distance itself from direct involvement and evade international sanctions.
Authorities have identified the main attackers as Pakistani nationals Hashim Musa (alias Suleiman) and Ali Bhai (alias Talha Bhai), along with local operative Adil Hussain Thokker. Two more locals — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar — were arrested for allegedly harbouring the terrorists. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, said both men knowingly provided the attackers with food, shelter, and logistical support.
In response to the massacre, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. In coordinated pre-dawn airstrikes, Indian forces targeted and bombed nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), reportedly killing over 100 terrorists. The strikes marked a significant escalation in India’s counterterrorism operations.
Over the following four days, both sides exchanged drone, missile, and long-range artillery strikes. The skirmishes ended on May 10 after both countries agreed to halt military action.
Officials have described the Pahalgam attack as a turning point in cross-border terrorism dynamics, underlining Pakistan’s continued use of non-state actors to destabilize India. Investigations are ongoing, and further arrests and intelligence disclosures are expected. (Agencies)
