A month after Pahalgam terror attack, no breakthrough in probe

Srinagar: A month after the deadly terror attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam, security agencies are yet to make any breakthrough in tracking down the perpetrators, despite massive search operations and a high-level probe involving multiple intelligence and enforcement agencies.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the investigation from the Jammu and Kashmir Police days after the April 22 strike, continues to question witnesses and analyse digital data as part of its efforts to trace the attackers, officials privy to the probe said.

At least five terrorists — including three Pakistani nationals — are believed to have been involved in the targeted assault at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local guide. The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility for the massacre.

Immediately after the attack, J&K police released sketches of Adil Hussain Thoker, a local militant, and two Pakistani terrorists identified as Hashim Musa alias Suleiman and Adil Bhai alias Talha Bhai.

Police say the two Pakistani terrorists have been active in Kashmir for the past one to two years. A reward of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for credible information leading to the arrest of each of the three.

Senior NIA officers have been camping in Pahalgam since the attack, working closely with local police and intelligence units. After formally registering a case, the NIA has questioned over 150 individuals — including pony handlers, shopkeepers, tourist photographers, and adventure sports workers — but most were released as no incriminating evidence emerged against them, sources said.

Investigators have also collected dump data from the attack site — including photos and videos captured by tourists and family members of the victims — and are relying on technical surveillance tools to scan the material for clues, they said. A 3D mapping of the Baisaran meadow has also been completed based on eyewitness accounts and inputs from locals.

Officials said there were some digital leads in the immediate aftermath of the attack, including intercepted communications and location pings. However, the terrorists appear to have gone offline soon after the strike, significantly complicating the probe.

“Initial digital footprints helped identify the group, but they have since avoided electronic communication. It suggests a level of training aimed at evading surveillance,” an official privy to the investigation said.

There is growing belief within the security establishment that the attackers may have retreated into forested areas or used existing safe routes to shift to other districts, all while avoiding contact with local modules — a pattern increasingly observed among foreign infiltrators in recent years.

The prolonged manhunt and absence of actionable intelligence have highlighted the operational difficulties of counterterrorism efforts in Kashmir’s mountainous and densely forested terrain. Security officials acknowledge that battle hardened foreign terrorists with minimal digital exposure pose a new set of challenges.

Meanwhile, security across south Kashmir remains on high alert, especially as the area prepares for the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra. Agencies are under pressure to neutralise the threat before any further attacks occur.