A high alert has been issued for all high-security prisons across Jammu and Kashmir following credible intelligence inputs indicating a possible terror strike targeting facilities housing Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives.
Security agencies have reportedly extracted crucial information relating to the recent Pahalgam terror attack during interrogations of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants lodged in prisons across the Union territory. Sources in the investigation have reported that the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is spearheading the probe, obtained significant leads after questioning several incarcerated militants.
According to officials familiar with the matter, some of the terrorists disclosed the identities of their handlers during custodial interrogation by NIA teams inside the prison premises. Preliminary findings also suggest that the assailants involved in the Pahalgam attack had received specialised training from their masters in Pakistan.
“These terrorists were also trained to build hideouts in hilly terrain and survive during harsh weather conditions,” a senior security official said.
Investigators have also identified one of the attackers as a former para-commando of Pakistan’s Special Forces. The individual is suspected to have played a key role in the coordinated assault at Baisaran meadow, on the outskirts of Pahalgam, on 22 April.
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Another militant, Hashim Musa, believed to be the leader of the group, has been active in Jammu and Kashmir for nearly a year and is suspected to be involved in at least three earlier attacks targeting security forces and non-locals.
Security arrangements have been bolstered at Central Jail in Srinagar and Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu, which house several high-profile Pakistani terrorists and sleeper cell operatives. Officials say these inmates have continued to play a critical role in aiding terrorist groups by offering logistical support and shelter.
A senior officer said, “The security of these prisons and government installations across the Kashmir valley has been beefed up following intel reports.”
In addition, heightened security measures have been put in place at tourist locations, key government buildings and sensitive zones such as Dachigam National Park. Several hotels frequented by visitors have also come under enhanced security cover.
On Sunday, Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) visited Srinagar and held discussions with senior police and intelligence officials to review the evolving security situation. The CISF took over the protection of prisons in Jammu and Kashmir from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in October 2023.
Officials reiterated that the measures are precautionary, but noted that recent intelligence inputs point to the possibility of a retaliatory strike by Pakistan-backed groups in the region.
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