Director General of the National Investigation Agency, Sadanand Date, arrived in Pahalgam on Thursday after taking over the investigation of the Pahalgam terror attack, which occurred on April 22 last month.
On Sunday, NIA took over the investigation of the terror case from the Jammu and Kashmir police and started probing the incident that claimed the lives of 26 people.
The central anti-terror agency formally lodged 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.
Official sources familiar with the development told reporters that “the NIA has formally taken over the case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and stated its investigation.”
The team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence for evaluation and help in identifying those responsible for the attack.
The NIA’s move comes amid intelligence agencies compiling a list of 14 local terrorists actively operating in the Union Territory.
As per reports, these individuals, aged between 20 and 40 years, are currently aiding foreign terrorists from Pakistan by providing logistical and ground support in the region.
These individuals are said to be associated with the 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 NIA is trying to identify and dismantle the terror infrastructure operating and assisting the cross-border terrorism.
Security forces have launched intensive, 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.
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