NIA Confirms All Three Pahalgam Attackers Were Pakistani Nationals, Two Locals Held for Providing Shelter

 NIA Confirms All Three Pahalgam Attackers Were Pakistani Nationals, Two Locals Held for Providing Shelter

In a significant breakthrough in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed that all three militants involved were Pakistani nationals linked to the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. This conclusion follows the arrest of two local residents from Pahalgam for allegedly giving shelter to the attackers.

The arrested men, identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Hill Park, reportedly hosted the terrorists at their homes and provided them with food just two days before the attack. According to officials, the attackers arrived at their homes on the evening of April 20, requested food, paid a small amount of money, and threatened the families not to speak to anyone.

Sources say the two locals eventually revealed the identities of the three gunmen during questioning. They also confirmed the men were foreigners and linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Investigators now believe that one of the attackers was Suleiman Shah—suspected of involvement in multiple past terror strikes, including the brutal killing of seven workers at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site in October 2023.

Before making the arrests, the NIA questioned more than 200 people in the area—including pony operators, shopkeepers, and photographers—hoping to track the movements of the attackers. A key lead came from photos recovered from the phone of a now-deceased militant, Junaid Ramzan Bhat, who was involved in the Z-Morh attack and killed in a police operation last December. The photos, which went viral after the Pahalgam incident, were shown to the arrested locals and other witnesses, who identified the three Pakistani men.

The investigation has also debunked earlier claims by local police, who had initially named two Pakistani nationals and one Kashmiri, Adil Hussain Thoker, as the suspects based on released sketches. However, central agencies now say those individuals were not connected to the April 22 attack.

Investigators are also reviewing other past terror incidents, including the ambush of Army personnel in Kulgam in August 2023 and an attack on Air Force personnel in Poonch in May last year, to determine if Suleiman Shah played a role in those as well.

The NIA has charged the two arrested locals under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for knowingly harbouring terrorists. The agency said the two men not only provided food and shelter but also helped the attackers with logistics, allowing them to stay at a seasonal hut (dhok) in Hill Park ahead of the assault.

As the investigation continues, agencies are working to connect the dots between various attacks and verify ballistic reports to build a watertight case against the perpetrators.