After taking over the investigation related to the Pahalgam terror attack case, National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General Sadanand Date on Thursday arrived at Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam as the agency began its probe into the matter.
Earlier on Sunday, the NIA took over the Pahalgam terror attack case from Jammu and Kashmir Police and began its investigation into the deadly attack that resulted in the killing of 26 tourists, sources said. The Central anti-terror agency formally registered a fresh FIR on late Saturday following an order issued from the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs considering the gravity of the case, as Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, the Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack. The NIA took over the case five days after the incident and four days after its team visited the attack site and started supporting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in probing what is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years.
Official sources privy to the development told ANI that “the NIA has formally taken over the case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and stated its investigation.” The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage. The NIA’s move comes amid intelligence agencies compiling a list of 14 local terrorists actively operating in the Union Territory.
According to sources, these individuals, aged between 20 and 40 years, are actively aiding foreign terrorists from Pakistan by providing logistical and ground-level support. The identified operatives are reportedly affiliated with three major Pakistan-backed terror outfits: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Among them, three are associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, eight with LeT, and three with JeM. Sources revealed the names of these individuals as Adil Rehman Dentoo (21), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23), Haris Nazir (20), Aamir Nazir Wani (20), Yawar Ahmed Bhat, Asif Ahmed Khanday (24), Naseer Ahmed Wani (21), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27), Aamir Ahmed Dar, Adnan Safi Dar, Zubair Ahmed Wani (39), Haroon Rashid Ganai (32), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29).
The identification of these local terror aides comes as agencies intensify efforts to dismantle the support networks facilitating cross-border terrorism. Security forces have launched coordinated operations across South Kashmir, particularly in Anantnag and Pulwama districts, where many of the listed individuals are believed to be operating. Senior officials indicate that these names are part of a larger intelligence dossier being used to preempt further attacks and disrupt terror logistics in the Valley.(AGENCIES)
