Pahalgam attack: Month on, over 2,000 questioned, accused yet to be nabbed
Even a month after the killing of 25 tourists and a local pony wala in Baisaran, Pahalgam, the killers are still at large amid operation to track them down in south Kashmir and neighboring Kishtwar district of Jammu. The NIA , which is investigating the case, is still questioning local eyewitnesses.
In the past one month, more than 2,000 people have been picked up across Kashmir for questioning. Many were released but dozens were booked under the stringent Public Safety Act. Even the police claimed to have raided the houses of more than 100 terror associates across Kashmir. Even on Wednesday, NIA investigators called local pony walas and other eyewitnesses for questioning. The agency has also questioned relatives of victims of terror attack and those who survived the attack and locals who were present when the attack took place last month.
'The NIA investigators are still calling people for questioning. Even yesterday, a few pony walas were again questioned,' said a local tourist guide, seeking anonymity. 'Some eyewitnesses have been questioned four to five times,' he said.
A senior police officer said, 'After one month, officials know many important points about the terrorists. NIA teams comprising senior officers are busy in investigation.'
At the same time, army, police and CRPF personnel are busy in search operations across south Kashmir. The army has gone deep into forests and up in the mountains to get clue about the terrorists. Apart from para-commandos, men from several units of the army are busy in this operation.
'It's a vast area of dense forests which is connected with Kishtwar forests. So far, army teams have searched several forest areas. The crucial time is also running out as one month is a long time,' said an officer privy to security details.
'We have indications that the terrorists responsible for the tourist killings haven't crossed over to Kishtwar and must be hiding in the Valley,' said an army officer.
Even after a month, Pahalgam still looks deserted though some tourists have started visiting the resort but the number is not more than a couple of hundred and most of them return to Srinagar by evening. Even local tourists from J&K are staying away from this place.
The police have already announced a ₹20-lakh reward for providing information about the terrorists. Soon after the attack on April 22, investigators uncovered the involvement of Adil Hussain Thoker, Hashim Musa and Adil Bhai. Musa and Bhai are said to be Pakistani nationals.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. Since the attack, six local militants including top operational commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in two separate encounters in Keller Shopian and Tral, but they had no links with the Pahalgam terror attack.
Waheed Ahmad, a pony wala and tour guide, said, 'With the terrorist attack, the Pahalgam, which was full of tourists, appears as a ghost town. Thousands associated with the tourism industry are staring at a bleak future.'
The security around Pahalgam has been beefed up and the area domination of all forests and mountains is being conducted by Rashtriya Rifle battalions of the army ahead of Amarnath yatra which begins on July 3. 'Our tourism will depend on the successful yatra. We hope tourists will again return after the yatra,' said Mushtaq Ahmad, who owns a guest house in the centre of the tourist resort.
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