NIA team reaches Pahalgam terrorist attack site, assisting J-K Police

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team visited the Pahalgam terror attack site on Wednesday to support the Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Police in probing what is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years.

The NIA team – led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer – visited Baisaran a day after terrorists gunned down a group of tourists in the picturesque meadow, which is located around five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Official sources privy to the development said that “the NIA team members will be assisting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the investigation.”

NIA’s visit to the terror attack site as an expert is significant in the investigation, as 26 tourists have lost their lives and over three dozen were injured at Baisaran meadow, near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam.

The NIA’s assistance to J-K Police underscores a key role in the overall investigation, as Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, the Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage.

The Central anti-terror agency is expected to be handed over the case by the Ministry of Home Affairs very soon.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Srinagar a few hours after the deadly attack, has vowed strict action and assured that the perpetrators “will not be spared”.

“With a heavy heart, paid last respects to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. Bharat will not bend to terror. The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared,” Shah expressed his feelings on Wednesday in his post on ‘X’.

Security has been intensified across the region, and a shutdown has been called in Kashmir on Wednesday to mourn the victims and condemn the violence.

As per officials, gunshots were heard in the area, following which security forces rushed there.

The incident occurred at around 3 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. (ANI)