NEW DELHI, June 22: Two brothers, who allegedly harboured the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, have been arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police.
The arrests of the two brothers identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Pahalgam’s Batkote and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Hill Park, is considered to be a significant breakthrough in the investigation of the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 in which 26 tourists were killed. The arrested brothers are believed to possess crucial information that could establish important linkages.
According to official sources, Parvaiz and Bashir have revealed the identities of the three terrorists, who allegedly gunned down 26 tourists in Pahalgam on April 22. Additionally, they know about the whereabouts of the terrorists after the attack.
The sources said these two individuals provided shelter and food to the attackers, 3 km from the attack site in Baisaran valley. They were fully aware that they were terrorists and even served them tea, they said.
They said it was, however, unclear if the brothers knew about the attack plans in advance. The terrorists, including the well-trained key assailant Suleman, were identified by the victims’ families, though the other two belong to new groups not in the existing database, they added.
The arrested individuals are being taken to Jammu and have disclosed that the terrorists fled to Anantnag, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is working to locate their hideout, the sources said. The NIA has said the accused have also confirmed that the terrorists were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). They have been booked under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
(Manas Dasgupta)
