GUWAHATI: Saifullah Kasuri, also known by the alias Khalid, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been identified by intelligence agencies as the mastermind behind the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
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According to reports, Kasuri is currently operating from Gujranwala in Pakistan. He has been vocal in the past about his dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s strategic shift in Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Kasuri’s frustration reportedly stemmed from a perceived de-escalation of LeT operations in Kashmir amid internal challenges in Pakistan, including unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The terror attack, which took place on Tuesday, April 22, claimed 26 lives, including two foreign nationals. It occurred at the Baisaran meadow, and was reportedly carried out by operatives of The Resistance Front (TRF), a LeT offshoot
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has joined the probe and visited the attack site on Wednesday. The militants, estimated to be five to six in number, reportedly used helmet-mounted cameras to record the attack and were well-trained, armed, and guided by detailed reconnaissance of security weaknesses.
Pakistan's government has denied involvement, with Defence Minister Khwaja Asif rejecting any links to the attack. Pakistan’s Foreign Office expressed “concern” over the loss of life but continued to refer to Jammu and Kashmir as “Indian Illegally Occupied.”
Meanwhile, widespread shutdowns were observed in Kashmir and Jammu in protest. Shops and businesses remained closed across the valley in a rare public demonstration against terrorism. Residents also condemned the attack, emphasising that such violence has no place in Kashmir or Islam.
