NIA personnel on their way to Baisaran Meadows from the Pahalgam Police Station for an investigation after the terror attack, in Anantnag district.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has widened its probe into the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists, to include suspected links with two terrorists imprisoned in a Jammu jail for their alleged involvement in the 2023 Rajouri attack.
The NIA officials reportedly interrogated Mushtaq and Nisar, who have been lodged in Jammu jail since April 2023. The two had been arrested in connection with the January 1, 2023, terror strike in Rajouri district that left seven civilians, including two children, dead. The attack was followed by an IED blast the next day.
The federal anti-terror probe agency formally took over the Pahalgam attack after registering a case in Jammu on April 27. Since then, NIA teams have fanned out across multiple states, recording statements from victims’ families in Maharashtra, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Investigators believe Mushtaq and Nisar may have had prior knowledge of, or assisted in, the planning of the Pahalgam attack, and their interrogation is part of efforts to uncover the broader terror network involved.
As part of the expanded investigation, the NIA has also zeroed in on several sensitive border areas in Jammu and Kashmir. These areas are being scrutinised due to the high likelihood of cross-border infiltration and the presence of suspected terrorist hideouts.
Simultaneously, around 20 alleged overground workers (OGWs) suspected to have provided logistical support to the Pahalgam attackers are currently under interrogation. A senior police official revealed that more than 100 suspects have already been detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in recent days—a record number since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The PSA allows authorities to detain individuals without trial for up to two years.
The Pahalgam attack has sent shockwaves across the country, especially as it targeted a popular tourist destination, previously seen as relatively secure. With tensions escalating along the Line of Control, security forces across Jammu and Kashmir have been placed on high alert. Intelligence agencies have intensified surveillance and counter-infiltration operations amid fears of further attacks.