Pahalgam Attack: Two held for hiding Pakistani terrorists

New Delhi:
National Investigation Agency
(NIA) has arrested two men for allegedly harbouring terrorists who carried out the
April 22 attack
in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead and 16 others injured.
Officials termed the arrests a "major breakthrough" and said the two individuals had disclosed the identities of three terrorists involved in the attack, confirming that the three are Pakistani nationals and part of the Pakistan-based group
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT).
The duo who allegedly provided shelter to the terrorists have been identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam. "Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack, as per NIA investigations," said one of the officials.
The two men "provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had, on the fateful afternoon, selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks ever".
The NIA arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Further investigations in the case are continuing, said officials.
The April 22 attack triggered a military retaliation by India against "
terror infrastructure
" in Pakistan. The Centre said soon after the attack that it had been established that the attack was directed by Pakistan-based handlers and involved Pakistani terrorists who had crossed the Line of Control.
Following the attack, India carried out strikes inside Pakistan at sites including the headquarters of the LeT and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) at Muridke and Bahawalpur, respectively. The air strikes destroyed key terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as well as training camps and launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The strikes were carried out under
Operation Sindoor
, which is continuing, according to the government, with more punitive action not ruled out.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New Indian Express

21 minutes ago

• New Indian Express

Israel-Iran conflict: Trump open to regime change in Tehran after his administration said that wasn't the goal

Following the US military strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, President Donald Trump on Sunday called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy. While Washington maintains that it is not seeking regime change in the Islamic Republic, Trump's more ambiguous remarks have fuelled speculation. On Sunday, the US military launched strikes on three key sites in Iran, raising urgent questions about the status of Tehran's nuclear programme and how its weakened military might respond. The strikes marked a significant escalation, coming after over a week of Israeli attacks aimed at systematically dismantling Iran's air defences, offensive missile systems, and nuclear infrastructure. The US and Israeli officials said American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) bunker-buster bomb - capable of reaching Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities - offered the best chance of neutralising fortified sites. Trump announced the strikes, and Iran's state-run IRNA confirmed that the targets included Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites. The Pentagon claimed the strikes had 'devastated' Iran's nuclear programme, aligning the US with Israel's ongoing military campaign. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister declared that the country reserves the right to retaliate, as tensions mount and the international community urges restraint to prevent a wider regional conflict. According to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists, Israeli strikes across Iran have killed at least 950 people and wounded 3,450 others. Of the dead, the group identified 380 civilians and 253 members of the security forces.

Hindustan Times

24 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

UP man held in Delhi in CPI(M) revival conspiracy case

Jun 23, 2025 07:48 AM IST The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Mathura man who is said to be a key accused in a CPI (Maoist) revival conspiracy case, the agency said in a note on Sunday. The arrest was made during a search in Vishal Singh's West Delhi house, from where digital devices and other incriminating materials were also seized. (For representation) A senior NIA official said Singh, who was originally from U.P's Mathura, was a member of the banned CPI (Maoist) and had delivered a drone to leaders of the outfit in Chhakarbanda/Panchrukhiya forest area of Bihar to further its violent anti-national activities. He had imparted technical training to other cadres of CPI (Maoist) and had also attended meetings with its central committee members in the deep forests of Bihar in 2019. He said the case related to the terror organisation's conspiracy to re-energise its decrepit influence in the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) area, comprising UP, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. He said the conspiracy involved the recruitment of cadres and strengthening of the organisation in the region through underground cadres working in urban areas, along with some Over Ground Workers (OGWs) operating in the guise of activists. The NIA, in August 2024, arrested one Ajay Singhal alias Aman, who was the in-charge of the CPI(M)'s State Organising Committee (SOC) in Haryana and Punjab, in the same case.

News18

26 minutes ago

• News18

Pakistan Politicians Urging Govt To Reconsider Trump's Nobel Peace Prize Nomination: Report

Pakistani leaders are urging their government to reconsider the decision to nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, calling it contradictory to his record on conflicts.