New Delhi: The brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, which killed 26 people, has been traced back to a hardened module affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and allegedly operating under the direct command of 26/11 mastermind and LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.
The group, consisting primarily of foreign terrorists with local militant and overground support from the Kashmir Valley, has long been under the radar of Indian security agencies. This latest assault marks one of the deadliest civilian-targeted attacks in the region since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The Module Behind the Massacre
According to intelligence sources, the module responsible for the Pahalgam massacre has been active for years and is believed to be behind a series of earlier attacks across Jammu and Kashmir. Previous operations attributed to this cell include:
• October 2024, Boota Pathri: A terror strike killed four people, including two Indian Army personnel.
• October 2024, Sonamarg: Tunnel workers were ambushed; six labourers and a doctor were gunned down.
• Ganderbal & other forested areas: Multiple small-scale ambushes targeting security forces.
Hashim Musa, one of the prime suspects in the Pahalgam attack, is also wanted for the Sonamarg killings.
A key figure in the module, Junaid Ahmed Bhatt, an A+ category LeT terrorist from Kulgam, was neutralized in December 2024 in an encounter in Dachigam. However, other members managed to escape and reportedly regrouped under fresh orders from across the border.
Lashkar’s Pakistan-Based Leadership and ISI Links
Indian intelligence has linked the module’s operations directly to Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed and his deputy Saifullah, both operating out of Pakistan. The group, officials say, receives logistical, tactical, and ideological support from Pakistan’s military and intelligence services, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
While the core fighters are largely foreign nationals, local militants and overground workers embedded within Kashmir provide safe houses, surveillance, and escape routes.
Details of the Pahalgam Attack
The attack in Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist destination dubbed “Mini Switzerland,” was meticulously coordinated and executed at three separate locations:
• Five victims were killed together at one site.
• Two were shot in an open field.
• Several others were attacked near fencing around the valley.
Survivors reported that the terrorists spoke briefly to some of them before opening fire. Those who managed to scale the fencing and flee were spared.
On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Police released sketches of three suspects:
1. Hashim Musa alias Suleman (Pakistani national)
2. Ali Bhai alias Talha (Pakistani national)
3. Abdul Hussain Thokar, a local from Anantnag
A ₹20 lakh reward has been announced for information leading to their capture. Security forces have also uncovered a forest hideout believed to be used by the group.
Diplomatic Firestorm and Retaliatory Measures
The Indian government has responded with a sweeping set of diplomatic and strategic countermeasures. After an emergency Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the following steps were announced:
• Diplomatic downsizing: Staff in both Indian and Pakistani missions reduced from 55 to 30, effective May 1.
• Military personnel expelled: All Pakistani military, naval, and air force attaches in New Delhi declared persona non grata.
• Visa restrictions:
o SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme suspended for Pakistani nationals.
o All current Pakistani visas revoked; citizens ordered to leave India within 48 hours.
o Indian nationals’ visas to Pakistan also cancelled, except for Sikh pilgrims.
• Border closures: The Attari-Wagah land border crossing shut down indefinitely.
• Water treaty suspended: India has formally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.
Nationwide Protests and Public Outrage
The Pahalgam attack has sparked massive public outrage across India. Protests erupted outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, where security forces were deployed in large numbers to control the crowds.
Demonstrations were also held in Jammu and Kashmir and several other Indian states, with citizens demanding justice and decisive action against terrorism and its sponsors.
India has vowed to pursue the perpetrators and their backers to the very end. Prime Minister Modi stated earlier this week:
“Terrorism will not go unpunished. We will track down every terrorist and every supporter—no matter where they are.”
