New Delhi/Srinagar (National Times): The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 28 civilians dead, has validated intelligence agencies’ early warnings of an escalated security threat in Jammu and Kashmir this summer. The attack, carried out in the lush Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on Tuesday, is being seen as a grim manifestation of the forecasted “hot summer” in the region.
As early as March 10, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan convened a high-level security meeting in Jammu, followed by another review chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Srinagar on April 6. Both sessions focused on intelligence inputs that suggested Pakistan-backed terror outfits were preparing for a surge in activities in the Valley.
70 Foreign Terrorists Still Active
Initial investigations point to the involvement of at least four attackers, three of whom are believed to be foreign nationals. Intelligence sources suggest a local guide might have assisted the group in navigating the terrain.
Security forces currently estimate that around 70 foreign terrorists are actively operating in Jammu and Kashmir. While some infiltration bids, such as the one thwarted in Hiranagar last month under the leadership of DGP Nalin Prabhat, were intercepted, officials fear others may have successfully crossed into Indian territory and gone into hiding, awaiting activation.
“With the snow melting and mountain routes becoming accessible, it’s likely the terrorists descended from higher altitudes to strike in Baisaran,” an intelligence source revealed. A joint cordon and search operation is underway in the region, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is on standby to initiate a crackdown on local support networks believed to have aided the assailants.
TRF Claims Responsibility; Use of M4, AK-47 Confirmed
The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the massacre. Forensic teams have recovered M4 bullets at the scene, and eyewitnesses report that AK-47s and other military-grade weapons were used in the ambush.
Multiple survivors reported that shots were fired from a considerable distance, leading authorities to investigate whether the attackers had undergone sniper-style training.
