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Intel sources said nearly 150 foreign terrorists, who infiltrated earlier in large numbers, are stationed across J&K, as security agencies probe the network behind Pahalgam attack
Commuters undergo security checks after terrorists attacked a group of tourists at Pahalgam, in Anantnag district, on April 22. (Image: PTI)
Top intelligence sources have confirmed that the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam was a “well-planned” operation executed by foreign militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba. The terrorists are believed to be Punjabi-speaking operatives from South Punjab in Pakistan, who had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir in large numbers earlier this year.
According to officials, nearly 150 such foreign terrorists are currently believed to be stationed across different parts of the Union Territory, lying low and awaiting directives.
Officials said a proper reconnaissance of the area was carried out in a systematic manner. The entry and exit timings were calculated carefully and repeatedly, indicating detailed preparation before the attack.
Sources described this as part of a new form of warfare in which militants attack, kill, and then hide in the mountain ranges for months.
Crucially, the timing of the attack also appears to be deliberate. With the Amarnath Yatra yet to begin and tourist footfall from southern and western Indian states already on the rise, militants chose a window when security deployment was comparatively lower, but visibility was high.
Intelligence officials believe the attack was also aimed at sending a signal to local Kashmiris — to stand with the terror groups or face economic consequences, particularly through tourism losses. This appears to have had an immediate impact, with large-scale hotel cancellations reported within 18 hours of the incident.
Twenty-six tourists from across the country were shot dead in Baisaran Valley as terrorists separated the male members from their families, asked them to recite the Kalma or reveal their names to ascertain their religious identity, and killed them in cold blood as women and children watched in horror.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the terrorists entered the Kashmir tourist site in a group around 2.20 pm and later split into pairs, covering the 400-m space. The terrorists systematically approached each group, inquiring about their religion and place of origin. Subsequently, they forcibly separated the men. After confirming the identities of their targets, they shot them with their AK-47 rifles at point-blank range. Those who attempted to deceive the terrorists regarding their identities were subjected to verification before being killed.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founded by Hafiz Saeed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The signs of TRF as a militant group became visible when the J&K police busted a module of over ground workers (OGWs) in Sopore and Kupwara. The arrested OGWs revealed they were “recruiting youth for the new outfit”.