All attackers involved in the brutal Pahalgam massacre on April 22 — including four Pakistani terrorists and their two Kashmiri operatives — are suspected to have fled across the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), evading the intensified security clampdown across the Valley in the aftermath of the carnage that left 26 civilians dead, including 25 tourists.
According to high-level intelligence inputs, the assailants are believed to have retraced the same infiltration route they used to enter Pahelgam.. After executing the bloodbath, they likely crossed over into PoK’s Neelum Valley, a known hotspot for terror launchpads and infiltration routes.
Despite extensive combing operations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other security outfits in the dense forests and hilly terrain of South Kashmir, recent intelligence leads point toward the escape of the terrorists across the border — an alarming development given the tight security grid that had been established post-attack.
Security forces are now intensifying efforts to identify and track down local sympathisers and facilitators who may have provided logistical aid to the terrorists before and after the massacre. These collaborators, intelligence officials believe, played a critical role in the premeditated strike on civilians.
“Identifying the terror sympathisers entrenched within the Valley is now our foremost priority,” said a senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official. “The attackers were not acting in isolation. Their Kashmiri counterparts had been operating covertly for an extended period and were key players in the planning and execution of this heinous attack.”
The perpetrators of the attack have been identified as:
Hashim Musa alias Suleiman – A Pakistani national and former member of Pakistan’s paramilitary forces, Musa joined the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) after his dismissal from military service. He is regarded as one of the chief executors of the attack.
Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai – Another Pakistani national affiliated with LeT, Talha is believed to have infiltrated the Valley shortly before the attack, bringing with him tactical expertise and weaponry.
Adil Hussain Thoker – A resident of Anantnag, Thoker was allegedly responsible for providing vital logistical support, acting as a key local operative for the attackers.
Adil Guree – Also hailing from Anantnag, Guree is suspected to have been directly involved in both the planning and execution of the assault.
Aasif Shaikh – From Sopore, Shaikh is under suspicion for assisting the group during the attack.
Saifullah Kasuri alias Khalid – A senior LeT commander based in Pakistan, Kasuri is believed to have masterminded the entire operation from across the border.
The terrorists were armed with sophisticated weaponry, including AK-47 rifles and American-origin M4 carbines, indicating a high level of operational readiness and foreign backing.
In response, the NIA has released sketches of the identified terrorists and announced a bounty of ₹20 lakh for actionable intelligence leading to the capture or elimination of each of the primary suspects — Musa, Talha Bhai, and Thoker.
