NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths are questioning two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists—Mushtaq and Nisar—currently lodged in a Jammu jail for their links to the 2023 Rajouri attack, as investigators have found similarities in the modus operandi used in the Pahalgam attack on tourists, officials said on Saturday.
Mushtaq and Nisar have been in jail since April 2023 for their role in the terror attack on civilians in Rajouri district, followed by an IED blast in which seven people, including two children, were killed and several others injured.
Meanwhile, NIA investigators have expanded the scope of their probe, as a significant lead has emerged related to the movement of a banned Huawei satellite phone in the Pahalgam region at the time of the attack, officials added.
Huawei, a Chinese company, is prohibited in India, raising suspicions that the device was smuggled from Pakistan or another foreign country, they said.
The NIA is now extending its investigation to the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir—including Machil, Keran, Nowgam, Baramulla, and Uri—to establish the infiltration routes of the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack and to locate their hideouts.
Security sources also confirmed that the Jammu and Kashmir Police have taken action against various individuals under the Public Safety Act. Over the past two days, nearly 100 suspects have been detained, making it the largest such action since the Centre’s decision to revoke the special status granted under Article 370 of the Constitution.
The NIA formally took over the Pahalgam terror attack probe and re-registered its own case on April 27.
Several teams from the agency are now involved in collecting evidence and questioning eyewitnesses, including relatives of the victims, to uncover the broader terror conspiracy.
Initial investigations into the attack indicate that the number of terrorists involved could range from five to seven. The attackers were also aided by at least two local militants who had received training in Pakistan.