The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed the sinister plan behind the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, 25 of whom were Indians. According to the charge sheet, the terrorists had lunch under a tree before unleashing the massacre at 2.23pm.
The NIA has named seven accused, including Sajid Jatt, believed to be at large in Pakistan, who shared the coordinates of the meadow with the attackers. The agency has also linked one of the terrorists involved to a terror strike on the Srinagar-Leh highway in October 2024.
The charge sheet offers proof of Pakistan's involvement in the attack by tracing IP addresses of social media accounts and purchase details of the two phones retrieved from the attackers. The NIA has charged the accused with murder and waging war against India, and relevant sections of the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The terrorists had arrived in Pahalgam on April 21 and had taken shelter in a hut, where they grilled the owner and his nephew about the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and security forces nearby. They left the hut at 10pm and returned the next morning to launch the attack.
The NIA has cited the testimony of a protected witness who saw Jothatd signalling three individuals near Ahmad's dhok on April 21. The witness had also seen the terrorists indulging in celebratory firing on their way out of the park.
