Terrorists Behind Pahalgam Massacre Identified as Security Agencies Intensify Crackdown

 Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir – April 23, 2025 — Security agencies have identified three militants responsible for the brutal massacre of 26 tourists in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam on Tuesday, confirming that the group had been operating in the region for at least a month prior to the attack.

According to intelligence sources, one of the assailants—identified as Junaid from Kulgam—had previously been neutralized in an encounter. Photographs obtained by intelligence officials match composite sketches released following the incident, confirming the identities of the attackers.

The chilling attack, which has drawn comparisons to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in scale and brutality, saw gunmen targeting civilian tourists in broad daylight. Eyewitnesses reported that the militants, dressed in camouflage and heavily armed, entered the area around 2:20 p.m. in coordinated groups. They methodically spread across a 400-meter radius and began interrogating tourists on their religious identity and place of origin.

Victims were reportedly asked to recite the Kalma—a declaration of Islamic faith—or reveal their names. Men who failed to comply were forcibly separated from their families and executed at point-blank range using AK-47 assault rifles. Women and children were spared, left to witness the horrific killings of their loved ones.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, paid tribute to the victims by laying wreaths on the bodies of the deceased. He assured the bereaved families that those responsible would face the full force of justice. The Home Minister also chaired a high-level security review meeting attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior intelligence and paramilitary officials.

Responsibility for the massacre has been claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). TRF emerged in 2019 as a front organization for LeT following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370. Since then, the group has been actively recruiting and operating through Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in areas such as Sopore and Kupwara.

Security agencies have since intensified combing operations in and around Pahalgam and are working to dismantle support networks that facilitated the attack. Sources indicate that the assault was meticulously planned to coincide with the tourist season and ahead of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, a major pilgrimage expected to begin on July 3.

As national and international condemnation of the attack pours in, authorities remain focused on stabilizing the region, ensuring the safety of civilians, and pursuing those responsible for one of the deadliest civilian attacks in the Valley in recent years.