The Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Sadanand Date, arrived in Pahalgam on Thursday as the agency officially began its investigation into the recent terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly tourists.
The NIA took over the case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday. The agency registered a new First Information Report (FIR) late on Saturday following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs' Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) division.&nbsp;
The handover comes in light of the serious nature of the attack, for which the Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility.
The agency assumed charge of the investigation five days after the incident occurred and four days after NIA personnel had visited the crime scene to assist local police in the preliminary stages of the probe. The attack has been described as the most lethal assault on civilians in the region in nearly two decades.
A senior official privy to the development told a news agency, &ldquo;The NIA has formally taken over the case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and started its investigation.&rdquo; The agency is expected to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the attack site, gather forensic evidence, and work towards identifying those behind the killings.
Simultaneously, intelligence agencies have compiled a list of 14 local militants currently operating within the Union Territory. These individuals, aged between 20 and 40, are believed to be offering logistical and ground-level support to foreign terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan.
The names identified include Adil Rehman Dentoo (21), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23), Haris Nazir (20), Aamir Nazir Wani (20), Yawar Ahmed Bhat, Asif Ahmed Khanday (24), Naseer Ahmed Wani (21), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27), Aamir Ahmed Dar, Adnan Safi Dar, Zubair Ahmed Wani (39), Haroon Rashid Ganai (32), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29).
These individuals are reported to be affiliated with three key Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organisations: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). According to the intelligence input, three of them are connected to Hizbul Mujahideen, eight to LeT, and three to JeM.
The identification of these local operatives comes amid a broader effort by security agencies to dismantle the support structures that enable cross-border terrorism.
Coordinated security operations have been launched across South Kashmir, with a particular focus on Anantnag and Pulwama districts, where several of the named individuals are believed to be active.
Senior officials have confirmed that the list of operatives is part of an extensive intelligence dossier aimed at preventing future attacks and disrupting the logistical networks of terrorist groups within the Valley.
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NIA has taken over the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, with TRF claiming responsibility

NIA Chief Visits Pahalgam, Begins Terror Probe

NIA has taken over the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, with TRF claiming responsibility

May 1, 2025 | 13:05 IST