‘The Urdu they spoke…’: 4-5 terrorists involved in Pahalgam attack likely from Pakistan

Indian Army personnel at the site of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Resistance Front – a proxy for the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba – has claimed responsibility for the attack. While initial media reports suggested the attack being carried out by five-six terrorists, a report by The Indian Express states that a total of seven terrorists – including four-five from Pakistan – may have opened fire on the tourists at the Baisaran meadow.

The report quoted sources citing eyewitness accounts and intel reports to suggest involvement of at least two local militants in the attack, who are yet to be identified.

“The Urdu that they (the foreign terrorists) spoke is spoken in certain parts of Pakistan… At least two local militants are suspected to be accompanying them, but so far we don’t know which part of Kashmir they came from,” the report quoted a security official as saying.

The security agencies have released the sketches of three men suspected to be involved in the terror attack. The men, all three Pakistanis, are Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, officials said. They had code names -- Moosa, Yunus and Asif -- and were involved in terror related incidents in Poonch.

The sketches were prepared with the help of survivors, they said. From the pencil sketches, in black and white, they appear to be young and have beards.

The terror outfit in question was banned by the Centre under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act back in January, 2023. The Resistance Front first emerged after the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Initially an online forum, the terror outfit became an offline entity in less than six months.

Drawing recruits from Lashkar and other terror groups, the group has been responsible for several attacks. Its founder Sheikh Sajjad Gul also known as Sheikh Sajjad claims that the group is against “local oppression” and has distanced itself from Pakistan or influence of Hafiz Saeed.

The Resistance Front – a proxy for the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba – has claimed responsibility for the attack. While initial media reports suggested the attack being carried out by five-six terrorists, a report by The Indian Express states that a total of seven tourists – including four-five from Pakistan – may have opened fire on the tourists at the Baisaran meadow.

The report quoted sources citing eyewitness accounts and intel reports to suggest involvement of at least two local militants in the attack, who are yet to be identified.

“The Urdu that they (the foreign terrorists) spoke is spoken in certain parts of Pakistan… At least two local militants are suspected to be accompanying them, but so far we don’t know which part of Kashmir they came from,” the report quoted a security official as saying.

The security agencies have released the sketches of three men suspected to be involved in the terror attack. The men, all three Pakistanis, are Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, officials said. They had code names -- Moosa, Yunus and Asif -- and were involved in terror related incidents in Poonch.

The sketches were prepared with the help of survivors, they said. From the pencil sketches, in black and white, they appear to be young and have beards.

The terror outfit in question was banned by the Centre under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act back in January, 2023. The Resistance Front first emerged after the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Initially an online forum, the terror outfit became an offline entity in less than six months.

Drawing recruits from Lashkar and other terror groups, the group has been responsible for several attacks. Its founder Sheikh Sajjad Gul also known as Sheikh Sajjad claims that the group is against “local oppression” and has distanced itself from Pakistan or influence of Hafiz Saeed.