Srinagar, May 3: National Investigation Agency (NIA) today interrogated two Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack.
Nissar Ahmed alias Haji and Mushtaq Hussain, residents of Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district, are being questioned over possible links to the group of Pakistani terrorists suspected to have carried out the Pahalgam attack.
Both Nissar and Mushtaq had earlier been arrested for their involvement in facilitating the infiltration of terrorists who later launched deadly attacks at Dhangri in Rajouri on January 1, 2023, and Bhatta Durrian in Poonch on April 20, 2023.
The Dhangri attack left seven civilians dead, while five Army soldiers were martyred in Bhatta Durrian. Investigations revealed that the attackers had crossed over from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) through the Line of Control in Poonch with the help of the two accused, who arranged shelter, food, and safe passage for them.
According to officials, some members of the same group are believed to be still active, and intelligence inputs suggest their involvement in the recent Pahalgam carnage.
The NIA is trying to gather further information from Nissar and Mushtaq about the movement and hideouts of the infiltrators, especially in the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the two accused were handled by Abu Qatal, a key Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist commander based in PoJK. Acting on his instructions, Nissar and Mushtaq are alleged to have facilitated the infiltration process and supported the Pakistani terrorists until they were ultimately tracked and arrested by Indian security forces.
With security agencies racing against time to eliminate the remaining terrorists involved in the series of attacks, the NIA may seek the court’s permission to take Nissar and Mushtaq into custody for extended interrogation. Investigators believe the duo holds critical information that could help track down the surviving attackers and dismantle the network behind the recent wave of bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.