NIA ‘verifying’ role of zip line operator considering his chants during Pahalgam terror attack

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is “verifying” the possible involvement of a zip line operator who was reportedly heard chanting “Allahu Akbar” as gunfire erupted during the Pahalgam terror attack which left 26 tourists dead, including a Nepali citizen, sources said.

The zip line operator, identified by the locals as Muzammil, is being questioned by the NIA since Monday following a viral social media video in which he is heard chanting “Allahu Akbar” amid the terrorists’ gunfire around 2 pm on April 22 in Baisaran, the picturesque meadow located around five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Sources said the Central anti-terror agency is currently verifying the operator’s role and assessing whether there was any connection to the attackers.
Meanwhile, sources said, the NIA has questioned several people that included family members of victims and tourists present at the incident spot, pony rider operators amog others since it took over Pahalgam terror attack case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The NIA formally registered a First Information Report in the case on April 26 night following an order issued from Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs considering the gravity of the case as Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, the Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The NIA took over the case five days after the incident and four days after its team visited the attack site and started supporting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in probing what is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years.

The NIA teams have been camping at the Pahalgam terror attack site since April 23 and have intensified the search for evidence.

The teams, overseen by an Inspector General, a Deputy Inspector General and a Superintendent of Police, are examining the eyewitnesses who had seen the horrifying attack unfold before their eyes at the peaceful and picturesque Baisaran valley. “The eyewitnesses are being questioned in minute detail to piece together the sequence of events that led to one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir.”

NIA’s investigation in the case is significant, as 26 tourists, including one Nepali citizen, have lost their lives and over three dozen were injured at Baisaran meadow, near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam, with the clear hand of three Pakistani terrorists and two local terrorists.

The NIA team is also learnt to have recreated the scene of the terror attack and conducted a thorough assessment of the attack site, collected forensic evidence, and engaged in identifying those responsible for the carnage.

The incident occurred at around 2 pm when terrorists came down from the mountain in Baisaran valley and started firing at the tourists who frequent the place, which is often dubbed ‘mini Switzerland’ because of its long, lush green meadows.

Authorities pressed a chopper into service for the evacuation of the injured persons.

The attack comes at a time when Kashmir is experiencing a significant uptick in tourist arrivals after years of militancy. Notably, the 38-day Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3.

The NIA’s fresh move followed a recent alert issued by the agencies, which have alerted about a possible plan of terrorists to attack “soft targets, especially police officials and local army and paramilitary personnel while on leave.”

In view of the inputs, it is also advised in the alert that police personnel should be advised to avoid visiting their native places, especially those which are terrorism affected.

Earlier, intelligence agencies compiled a list of 14 local terrorists actively operating in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. These individuals, aged between 20 and 40 years, are actively aiding foreign terrorists from Pakistan by providing logistical and ground-level support.

The identified operatives are reportedly affiliated with three major Pakistan-backed terror outfits: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Among them, three are associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, eight with LeT, and three with JeM.

Sources revealed the names of these individuals as: Adil Rehman Dentoo (21), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23), Haris Nazir (20), Aamir Nazir Wani (20), Yawar Ahmed Bhat, Asif Ahmed Khanday (24), Naseer Ahmed Wani (21), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27), Aamir Ahmed Dar, Adnan Safi Dar, Zubair Ahmed Wani (39), Haroon Rashid Ganai (32), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29).

Dentoo joined LeT in 2021 and actively working as the Sopore district commander of the banned outfit. Asif Ahmed Sheikh, a terrorist of JeM, is the district commander of Awantipora and has been continuously involved in terrorist activities since 2022. Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh is active in Pulwama as an LeT terrorist and has been involved in terrorist activities continuously since 2023. Haris Nazir is terrorist from Pulwama and active in LeT since 2023 while Aamir Nazir Wani is also an active terrorist in Pulwama linked to JeM since 2024. Yawar Ahmed Bhat is also completely active in Pulwama and is associated with JeM since 2024.

Asif Ahmed Khanday is a terrorist from Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir, and he joined Hizbul Mujahideen in July 2015, and is currently an active member of the terror group aiding Pakistani terrorists. Naseer Ahmed Wani is also actively involved in terrorist activities in Shopian since 2019 as an active member of LeT significantly aiding Pakistani terrorists. Shahid Ahmed Kutay, another active terrorist in Shopian, is linked with LeT and its proxy group The Resistance Front (TRF), since 2023.

Aamir Ahmed Dar, also active in Shopian since 2023, is working with LeT and play a major role as an aide to foreign terrorists. Adnan Safi Dar, who is another active terrorist from Shopian district, has been working jointly for LeT and TRF since 2024, and acts as a conduit for information from Pakistani handlers to terrorists.

Zubair Ahmed Wani alias Abu Ubaida alias Usman, is the Chief Operational Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. He is categorized as an A+ active terrorist and significantly aids other terrorists and has been implicated multiple times in attacks on security forces since 2018.

Haroon Rashid Ganai, an active Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist also from Anantnag, is on the search radar of security forces. He had earlier travelled to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) where he received training during 2018. He reportedly came back to South Kashmir recently. However, Zubair Ahmed Gani, a major terrorist from Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir, is associated with LeT and continuously involved in attacks on security forces and targeted killings.

The identification of these local terror aides comes as agencies intensify efforts to dismantle the support networks facilitating cross-border terrorism.

The NIA is also gathering inputs about three Pakistan terrorists whose sketches were earlier released by the agencies. The authorities had earlier released three sketches of these Pakistani terrorists–Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha. The other two Valley based operatives were identified as Adil Guri and Ahsan. A bounty of Rs 20 lakh on each has also been announced. (ANI)