Pahalgam terror attack: NIA gets 5-day custody of duo sheltering terrorists

On Monday, a Jammu local court granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) a five-day remand of two men arrested for sheltering the Pakistani terrorists behind the dastardly Pahalgam attack on April 22. The two men, identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, were arrested by the NIA on Sunday (June 22).

This is a major step in the investigation of one of the worst terror attacks the country witnessed in recent times, which claimed 26 innocent lives. The men from Pahalgam were presented before the court and will be in NIA custody until June 27. Parvaiz and Bashir had reportedly sheltered the gunmen, who orchestrated the attack, in makeshift huts. They allegedly provided the terrorists with food and logistical support before they opened fire at the tourists enjoying their vacation in the Baisaran Valley.

The agency said that the arrested men disclosed the identity of the terrorists and also confirmed that they had links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Right after the attack, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of LeT claimed responsibility for the attack. They later deleted the post, citing that their social media account was hacked. The Indian administration waited for Pakistan to take action against the terror outfits operating on its soil.

On seeing the inaction, Operation Sindoor was launched to destroy the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in one of the initial briefings, had mentioned that a fortnight of inaction had led India to take such stern steps. India carried out precision strikes on terrorist establishments in Pakistan in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack.