NIA Says Key Perpetrator Likely Involved in 3 Past Attacks; 2 More Sketches Released

One of the main perpetrators of the attack in Pahalgam, identified as Pakistani national Hashim Musa alias Suleiman, has been active in Jammu and Kashmir for the last one year and was likely involved in at least three attacks on security forces and non-locals, officials familiar with the probe said on Thursday.

- Neeraj Chauhan and Mir Ehsan

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR:

Musa is believed to be hiding in the higher reaches of Pir Panjal range, along with four other terrorists, who carried out the attack on tourists at Baisaran meadow on Tuesday.

These four terrorists were identified by the Jammu and Kashmir police as Ali Bhai alias Talha (Pakistani), Asif Fauji (Pakistani), Adil Hussain Thoker (a resident of Anantnag) and Ahsan (a resident of Pulwama). The police also released their sketches based on the details given by the survivors.

It is suspected that Musa may be working with other Pakistan-backed terror groups operating in the Valley other than the Lashkar-e-Taiba.