Pahalgam attack carried out by a hardened module affiliated with Lashkar and had blessings and backing of Hafiz Saeed

Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed's role "Revealed" in Pahalgam Terror Attack

This particular module has been active in the Kashmir Valley for a long time and it has been behind several high-profile attacks including in Sonamarg, Boota Pathri, and Ganderbal. 

In October 2024, four individuals, including two Indian Army personnel, were killed in a terror strike at Boota Pathri. 

The Pahalgam attack was carried out by a hardened module affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, comprising mostly foreign terrorists, with support from local militants.

The fact of the matter is Sonamarg also witnessed a deadly assault on tunnel construction workers by this group in which six labourers and a doctor were gunned down.  

Hashim Musa, one of the main accused in the Pahalgam massacre, is believed to a suspect in this attack.

The module is reportedly controlled directly by Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed and his deputy Saifullah.

The module receives ideological and also logistical and tactical guidance from Pakistan's military.

The group's composition includes a majority of foreign fighters, but several locals and overground workers from Kashmir are embedded within it, providing support and cover. 

Following the Sonamarg massacre, a key figure in the module, Junaid Ahmed Bhatt, an A+ category Lashkar terrorist from Kulgam, was neutralised in an encounter in Dachigam in December 2024. Other members of the group managed to escape, dispersing into nearby forested regions. After a major attack, these terrorists typically go underground, hiding in dense forest hideouts until receiving fresh orders from their handlers in Pakistan.  

Security forces have uncovered a hideout used by the module in nearby forests on Thursday.  

In the Pahalgam attack, terrorists struck at three separate locations within the Baisaran valley. 

According to police sources, five people were killed together at one location, two were shot dead in an open field, and others were targeted near a fencing structure around the valley. 

Survivors have said that the attackers even engaged them in brief conversations before opening fire.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday released sketches of three suspects linked to the Pahalgam attack. Two are Pakistani nationals: Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha. 

The third, Abdul Hussain Thokar, is a resident of Anantnag in Kashmir. The police have announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh for credible information leading to their capture.