It's been three months since the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack in India's Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, and the attackers are still on the loose. At least 26 innocent and unarmed people were killed on 22 April, of whom one was a Nepali citizen.
While the perpetrators are still at large, calls for accountability have been stoked by growing worries about regional security lapses. Although the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two individuals in connection with the 22 April incident, they are believed to have only provided logistical support, while the main perpetrators behind the gruesome attack remain at large.
The security vacuum has prompted Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, who will complete his five-year term next month, to take full responsibility for what he acknowledged as a "security failure". This admission was appreciated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who nonetheless called for accountability.
Also Read: NIA gathers crucial leads about Pahalgam attackers
"I appreciate the statement of the Lt Governor, but an admission of failure must be followed by action. Heads must roll when such a grave mistake leads to the loss of precious lives. The people of Kashmir deserve to know what went wrong and who will be held accountable," said the J&K CM in his previous statement.
The terrorists' successful escape demonstrated a high degree of training and local support, and the strike was indicative of meticulous planning.
According to the officials, there was a significant security breach when intelligence services were notified about the potential for a terror attack, but the inputs were used at a location about 90 kilometres from the attack site.
The two men - Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam – were arrested by NIA on 22 June. The intelligence agency had said that the arrested accused, who are presently on remand, have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed- The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The planning of Pahalgam terror -
According to NIA investigations, Parvaiz and Bashir had intentionally harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) in Hill Park prior to the attack. One of the most horrific terrorist attacks ever, the agency said, was carried out on that fateful afternoon when the terrorists killed the tourists based on their religious identity after the two men gave them food, shelter, and logistical support.
The incident has highlighted doubts over the efficiency of the security system in Kashmir and will probably be at the centre of public debate in the months ahead. Saifullah Kasuri alias Khalid, a top LeT commander and personal assistant of internationally designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, has reportedly planned this barbaric attack.
Also Read: US declares TRF as 'terror group,' months after Pahalgam massacre
Security officials said the terrorists, members of a TRF unit known as the "Falcon Squad," breached the Pahalgam area wearing military camouflage and equipped with military-grade firearms and modern communication equipment, including a camera-fitted helmet. They suggested that the attackers' online trail started from safe houses near the border in Karachi and Muzaffarabad, suggesting a high level of logistical integration with the Pakistani LeT network.
They said that targeting tourists in Pahalgam is a potential shift in Kashmiri terror groups' operational strategy, suggesting that the group is prepared to target civilian tourists as well as government employees and settlers as part of a larger plan to polarise communities, destabilise the area, and deter tourists.
Employment of highly skilled terrorists under the "Falcon Squad" suggests an increasing dependence upon decentralised, difficult-to-follow-up operatives, sparking fear about the dangers to regional security and civilian existence in Jammu and Kashmir in the future, they added.
Reply to this brutal terror attack was India's 'Operation Sindoor', under which the armed forces carried out precision strikes on nine infrastructures of terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The 7 May operation led to a four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan, with both nations coming to a 'ceasefire understanding'.
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