Pahalgam terror attack assailant picture was fake - Here is the truth: The terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday (Apr 22) left at least 27 dead in India's Jammu and Kashmir. In the shock and confusion that followed, there was a scramble to identify the terrorists. A picture, allegedly of one of the attackers, started floating on social media. Now it has emerged that it was not that of the terrorist.

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Here is what happened:

How the 'terrorist' photo started circulating

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The photo was shared with Indian media allegedly by security forces in the aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.

The viral photograph circulated online, purportedly showing one of the suspected attackers. 

The image showed a man in a kurta holding a rifle.

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It was widely reported by Indian media as the 'first photo of a suspected terrorist'. It was described as that of a commander of Pakistan-based terror group Laskar-e-Taiba, taking part in the dastardly attack.

Fact-checking the viral photograph

Online fact-checking platforms have now debunked this. According to several of them, the image was not from the Pahalgam attack, but a screengrab from an old training video of a militant group.

While some said it showed an LeT member doing a gun training, it cannot be independently verified.

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The X account of OSINT J&K’ shared the video clip from which the screengrab photo appears to have been taken.

OSINT J&K describes itself as an open-source intelligence sharing platform on developments in Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan.

What does the terrorist video show?

The video appears to show a man running, jumping, dodging and firing from an automatic gun in a circular motion.

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of visuals shared on social media.

 

How was the photo of the terrorist called out as false?

The conclusion was reached on the basis of outdated graphics and a visible timestamp, which indicated that it was not recent. The video resolution was also poor, when compared to high resolution videos possible today even in mobile phones. 

OSINT J&K also questioned as to why any full video was not released, if it was indeed from the Pahalgam attack.

The man in the photo wore a kurta, while attackers wore military fatigues

Eyewitnesses of the Pahalgam attack described the terrorists as having worn military fatigues, not civilian attire like a kurta, as seen in the photograph. 

According to survivors, the attackers entered the area from the nearby pine forests of Baisaran valley

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They targeted male tourists, killing at least 27 people in what was one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008.

Some reports claimed that the terrorists wore bodycams to record the attack. No video from such devices has been shared at the time of writing this. Most of the current visuals from the attack site are taken by eyewitnesses, survivors and first responders.

Who are the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack?


The Resistance Front (TRF), a lesser-known proxy group of Pakistan-based LeT, claimed responsibility for the attack. 

Intelligence sources identified three suspects—Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha—all believed to be Pakistani nationals. There were two other terrorists, who are thought to be Kashmiris.

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Three sketches of the terrorists have been shared, and 2 million rupee reward has been announced for any information regarding the suspects.

The sketches were made based on earlier photographs available with security agencies, and descriptions of the terrrorists collected from survivors.

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In a group photograph, which was also the basis for the sketches, one attacker identified as Kulgam’s Junaid, was reportedly killed in an earlier encounter. 

The investigation continues for catching the terrorists, who disappeared after the attack.