Early Times Report
Jammu, June 25: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered crucial evidence indicating that the conspiracy behind the deadly Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, was set in motion at least a week before the massacre, with Pakistan-based handlers allegedly directing the operation through encrypted communication channels and digital navigation tools.
According to the findings of the agency's investigation, the terrorists involved in the attack used a GPS-based trekking and hiking application to receive, store and navigate coordinates of target locations in and around the Baisaran Valley area of Pahalgam, where the attack was eventually carried out.
Digital forensic examination of mobile phones recovered during the investigation revealed two map screenshots bearing timestamps of April 15 and April 16, suggesting that reconnaissance and operational planning had begun several days before the attack that left 26 people dead, including 25 tourists and a local pony operator.
The NIA has alleged that the coordinates and operational instructions were provided by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Sajid Jatt alias Ali Bhai, who is believed to have supervised and coordinated the entire operation from across the border. Investigators found evidence indicating that the terrorists remained in regular contact with their handler through encrypted communication platforms.
Forensic analysis of two mobile phones recovered following Operation Mahadev uncovered a wealth of digital evidence, including photographs of terrorists, navigation routes, GPS coordinates linked to the Baisaran area, communication records with Pakistan-based handlers, and instructions relating to movement, logistics and operational planning.
The investigation has further revealed that on April 21, just a day before the attack, the terrorists allegedly took shelter in a dhok (traditional mud hut) belonging to Parvaiz Ahmad. The NIA has chargesheeted Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad for allegedly providing food, shelter, and logistical assistance to the terrorists.
In another significant disclosure, a protected witness informed investigators that in September 2024, four armed terrorists had forced him to guide them to the Gogal Dara forest area. During that visit, a drone allegedly delivered a consignment comprising 20 pistols, Rs 15 lakh in cash and triangle-shaped improvised explosive devices (IEDs), indicating sustained logistical support from across the border months before the attack.
The agency has also claimed that the two mobile phones recovered from the slain terrorists were originally sold in Pakistan, strengthening evidence of cross-border involvement in the conspiracy.
Investigators further found that the attackers relied on specialised encrypted applications to communicate with their network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs), enabling them to evade detection while coordinating movements and logistical arrangements.
According to the NIA, Baisaran was deliberately selected as the site of the attack because of its difficult terrain, limited accessibility and absence of CCTV surveillance, factors that provided operational advantages to the attackers and complicated security monitoring.
The probe, one of the most extensive investigations undertaken by the agency in recent years, involved the examination of more than 1,100 witnesses and the collection of substantial digital, forensic and documentary evidence before the filing of a chargesheet in the Special NIA Court in Jammu.
The April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 tourists and one local ponywallah, ranks among the deadliest attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. The NIA maintains that the latest findings have further exposed the cross-border dimensions of the conspiracy and the sophisticated planning that preceded the massacre. |
