 "2 Pakistani nationals, 1 Kashmir local: Who are the Pahalgam terrorists?")
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have confirmed the role of two Pakistani terrorists and one south Kashmir resident in the Pahalgam terror attack. The massacre on Tuesday (April 22) at the scenic Baisaran meadow left 26 people dead, including a Nepali national.
The police are now looking for Pakistani terrorists Hashim Musa alias Suleiman and Ali Bhai alias Talha as well as Kashmir Valley local Adil Hussain Thoker. The Anantnag Police released their sketches on Thursday (April 24), announcing a reward of Rs 20 lakh for credible information on them.
Who are these terrorists suspected of being the Pahalgam attackers? Is the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed involved? We will explain.
J&K Police hunt for Pahalgam terrorists
The J&K Police suspect Pakistani terrorists Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai, along with Anantnag resident Adil Hussain Thoker, carried out the Pahalgam attack.
Musa and Ali are believed to have entered India in the last year and a half, while Thoker acted as their local guide in Kashmir. The Pakistan nationals have been operating in the Kashmir Valley for nearly two years, as per an Indian Express report.
“We believe he [Musa] entered from the Samba and Kathua side and then moved towards Kishtwar. There is no local support for these terrorists so they mostly live in tents in the dense forests and caves and keep moving, which is also why Musa hasn’t been arrested earlier,” a source told ThePrint.
— Anantnag Police( اننت ناگ پولیس) (@AnantnagPolice) April 24, 2025
Musa likely infiltrated in September 2023 and was active mainly in the Budgam district. Ali came to India after Musa and was operating in the Dachigam forests on the outskirts of Srinagar city, Indian Express reported, citing police records.
Thoker, a resident of Gurre village in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, travelled to Pakistan in 2018 and returned to the Valley last year, as per the records. Police believe he was a local guide of the “well-trained and battle-hardened” Pakistani terrorists.
Sources told ThePrint that the Kashmir resident helped other foreign terrorists enter India late last year. According to the digital news outlet’s defence sources, Musa was also involved in at least four other terror attacks in the Valley.
Two attacks were in Kulgam, one in Dera Ki Gali in Rajouri that left five Army personnel dead and another in Poonch’s Shahsitar.
“Musa is well-trained and sharp. He is military trained, almost like an ex-serviceman. He is the group commander,” ThePrint’s source said.
A senior police officer told Indian Express that there could be a fourth terrorist involved in the Pahalgam attack.
How are these terrorists linked to Pahalgam attack?
The Resistance Front (TRF), proxy outfit of the LeT, has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
As per ThePrint sources, terrorists were hiding in the forests of the Baisaran valley and keeping an eye on the influx of tourists in the region.
They seem to have carried out an extensive recce, said a police officer. “They had a clear idea about the reaction time of the forces. Baisaran is only accessible by foot, and it would take an hour for the security agencies to react, mobilise and reach the meadow. It seems the attackers factored that in; that’s why they remained there for some time. The off-road nature of the place gave them enough time to escape into the dense forests,” he told Indian Express.
Terrorists are believed to have run off to the Pir Panjal range, which has a tough terrain that makes it the perfect hiding spot for them.
“They are believed to have fled to the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal range, where search operations by the Army, central paramilitary forces and J&K police are underway,” a source said to the newspaper.
What is Hafiz Saeed’s role?
The deadly terror attack in Pahalgam was carried out by a hardened module that is controlled by the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed, as per an NDTV report.
The TRF, which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre, is linked to the LeT terror organisation. The group consists mostly of foreign terrorists, who get support from local militants and overground workers from the Valley, the report mentioned.
Sources told NDTV that this module has been active in the Kashmir Valley for some time now and has a hand in many high-profile attacks across the region.
The module is reportedly under the control of Saeed and his deputy Saifullah, who are considered to be handling it from Pakistan.
Indian security agencies accuse Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of providing ideological, logistical and tactical guidance to the terror module.
With inputs from agencies
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