Pahalgam attack suspects have now all been confirmed as Pakistani nationals, Indian investigators revealed, as the probe into April’s deadly assault in Kashmir continues. India’s National Investigative Agency (NIA) announced that all three attackers belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group banned by the UN.
Earlier, police believed two were Pakistani and one local. After arresting two locals who allegedly sheltered the militants, the NIA said all attackers were from Pakistan.
“The arrested men knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhol (hut) before the attack,” NIA stated. Officials did not share when the arrests took place, and the suspects have not made public statements yet. Pakistan has not responded to these new claims, but earlier denied any role in the attack.
The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, first claimed responsibility but later withdrew the claim. The 22 April incident increased tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries by killing 26 tourists in Baisaran, a well-known location in Kashmir. Despite controlling separate areas of the territory, both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir.
India-Pakistan Tensions Rise Ahead of Pahalgam Attack
India revoked the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan shortly after the attack. Pakistan responded by withdrawing from the 1972 Simla Agreement, which sought to settle conflicts amicably. India then launched air and missile attacks on what it described as “terror infrastructure” within Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on May 7.
The US President Donald Trump had declared a truce to halt the escalating hostilities on May 10. Although Pakistan has denied that India hit any terror camps, and replied with its missile strikes and drone missions into Indian territory.
Following the Pahalgam attack, the Indian security forces launched a large search across Kashmir, questioning thousands. Despite the extensive operation, the three attackers remain on the run, which keeps the tensions at an all-time high between the two countries.