Amid an ongoing crackdown in the Kashmir Valley to dismantle the terror ecosystem, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun interrogating two terrorists lodged in Jammu's Kot Bhalwal Jail in connection with the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
The two terrorists—Nissar Ahmed alias Haji and Mushtaq Hussain, both residents of Bhatta Durrian in the Mendhar sub-division of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district—have been imprisoned in Jammu since April 2023.
Sources said the duo is notorious for facilitating the movement of terrorists infiltrating from across the Line of Control (LoC). "The investigating agency is likely to obtain some leads about the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack during their interrogation," the sources added.
Nissar, Mushtaq Linked to Dhangri and Bhatta Durrian Terror Attacks
Nissar Ahmed and Mushtaq Hussain were earlier arrested by security forces for their involvement in the Dhangri and Bhatta Durrian terror attacks in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Seven civilians, including two children, were killed and several others injured in two separate attacks in Dhangri village in Rajouri district on January 1 and 2.
On the evening of January 1, four people were shot dead. The following morning, a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast killed two children and injured several others in the same locality. One of the injured later succumbed to his injuries at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu.
Additionally, on April 20, 2023, five Indian Army personnel lost their lives when terrorists ambushed an Army convoy in the Bhatta Durrian area of Mendhar in Poonch district.
NIA Registers FIR in Pahalgam Case, Investigations Underway
The NIA formally took over the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack by registering an FIR in Jammu on April 27. Since then, multiple agency teams have been collecting evidence and questioning eyewitnesses, including the victims' family members across the country, to unravel the broader conspiracy.
Preliminary findings suggest that between five to seven terrorists may have been involved in the Pahalgam attack. Investigators believe the assailants were aided by at least two local terrorists, both of whom are believed to have received training in Pakistan.
NIA Files Chargesheet in Srinagar Grenade Attack
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against three terrorists linked to the banned ISIS/ISJK terror outfit in connection with the 2024 grenade attack at Srinagar's Sunday Market.
The attack, which occurred on November 3, 2024, near the busy TRC area in Srinagar, claimed the life of a woman and injured several other civilians.
In its chargesheet submitted before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, the agency named Sheikh Usama Yaseen, Umar Fayaz Sheikh, and Afnan Mansoor Naik. They were charged under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The three accused are currently in judicial custody. Usama and Umar were arrested on November 7, 2024—just four days after the attack—while Afnan was taken into custody on November 8, 2024, for his active role in the criminal conspiracy.
The NIA's investigation revealed that the accused were engaged in a larger plot to wage war against India by carrying out targeted terrorist attacks against both civilians and security forces.
