Kashmir News: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two men for harbouring the terrorists who had carried out the deadly attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

The two men, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, from Pahalgam, have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack. They also confirmed that the terrorists were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The investigation agency said Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal hut at Hill Park before the attack. The two men had 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.

The NIA, which has arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, is further investigating the case registered after the attack that shook the world on 22 April.

Pahalgam Terror Attack

The terror attack struck tourists in Baisaran Valley, resulting in the deaths of 26 civilians and leaving 20 others injured. Five heavily armed militants, reportedly from Lashkar-e-Taiba’s offshoot, The Resistance Front, targeted visitors, meticulously separating men before executing them.

Among the fallen were mostly Hindu tourists, along with a Christian visitor and a local Muslim pony guide who died defending others.
In the midst of terror, local guide Nazakat Ahmad Ali Shah emerged as a hero by saving 11 tourists, including children and a BJP leader’s daughter—by claiming them as his own. His cousin, pony guide Syed Adil Hussain Shah, died shielding tourists from gunfire.