Pahalgam terrorists posed as mule handlers day before attack, asked woman if she read the Quran

As the hunt continues for perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack, a woman says she met two of them only a day back. Ekta Tiwari, a model, told News18 that they posed as mule handlers and were enquiring about their religion. She told the publication that after the photos of the terrorists were released, she instantly recognised two of them and gave the details to the police.

Ekta recalled that she was in Pahalgam with a group of 20 people on April 20 and met the men on April 21. They had asked a local mule handler to arrange a mule ride for them. The next day, two men showed up who claimed they were mule handlers. However, they acted suspiciously and asked them strange questions.

Also Read: Pakistan 'link' established with Pahalgam horror

Ekta says they asked her about Ajmer and Amarnath Yatra, before enquiring about their religion. "Two unknown men came along with the mule handler. They started asking me about Ajmer. I told them I had never been there. Then they began questioning me about Amarnath Yatra - how many people had come, what our religion was, etc," she said.

Also Read: Pahalgam attack: Houses of 3 active terrorists demolished in south Kashmir, counter-terror operations underway

Ekta found their behaviour strange and didn't reveal much. They asked her whether she had a husband and her plans to get married. They told her to read the Quran, and one of them said he teaches the holy book. Ekta said she was wearing a rudraksha mala and told them that she doesn't read the Quran. 

"Then they asked if I read the Quran and which religion I follow more. One even claimed to be a Quran teacher," she stated.

She told the publication that she felt scared listening to their questions and kept to herself. 

Things got scarier when they started forcing the group to visit the Baisaran Valley, something they were not interested in doing. She claims they misbehaved with them when they refused. One of the men had a phone inside his shoes, Ekta said.

"They insisted on taking us to Baisaran Valley, but we didn't go. They were angry and misbehaved with us. We even have videos of the incident. More than half of our group returned early. Out of the sketches released, I recognise one of the terrorists," she said.

The Pahalgam attacks led to the death of 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22, 2025. Innocent people who were in Baisaran with their families were left stunned when terrorists opened fire. They hunted down people who were hiding, asked the men to read the Kalma and shot those who couldn't. 

Witnesses stated that they asked them about their religion and divided them based on that. Most of those killed were men, while the women and children were asked to run away.

The horrific killings have soured things between India and Pakistan. New Delhi claims the latter was involved in the massacre. Meanwhile, Islamabad has denied its role and has said that it is open to a neutral probe.