Sensational details have emerged in the Pahalgam terror attack that was planned and executed by three Pakistani terrorists and killed 26 civilians. The attackers used a GoPro camera to record the assault, hid in a resident’s hut before turning the Baisaran meadow into a deadly “kill zone”, according to the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The agency said that the three terrorists involved in the massacre on April 22, 2025, had lunch under a tree shortly before they killed 26 civilians. The country’s top terror-fighting body also said that the three terrorists had visited a local’s house near Baisaran a day before the attack.
According to the statement of resident Parvaiz Ahmad, around 5 PM on April 21, his maternal uncle Bashir Ahmad Jothar brought in three men carrying guns.
“My mama (maternal uncle) Bashir Ahmad Jothar walked in and told us to remain silent. He went outside and returned within a few moments, followed by three men carrying guns. The armed men sat down inside the dhok. They told me to give them water as they were very tired and thirsty, saying they had travelled a long distance,” Parvaiz, who operated a pony in the Baisaran Valley, told investigators, as per the NIA chargesheet.
“I gave them water. After drinking, they told me that I would receive ‘sawaab’ for giving water to men fighting in Allah’s path and waging jihad for the freedom of Kashmiri Muslims. They were speaking Urdu with a Punjabi touch and didn’t seem to be Kashmiris. I realised they were Mujahids. They told me to hide their bags and pouches. I hid them under my blankets/bedding lying in the dhok while they stayed there. I instructed my wife, Tahira, to prepare tea for all of us,” he said.
Notably, Bashir Ahmad Jothar and Parvaiz were arrested on June 22, 2025, for harbouring the three terrorists.
How terrorists planned the Pahalgam massacre
The next morning, the three terrorists ate lunch (rice and dates) under a tree before entering Baisaran Valley. Two of them went to a rivulet entry point to watch the area. They then returned to the third terrorist, collected their belongings, and all three moved towards the meadow.Two terrorists headed to the main entry gate of the Baisaran meadow, while the third went towards the zipline area. One terrorist wore a GoPro on his head. At around 2:23 pm, one opened fire. Moments later, the other two also started shooting from their positions.
After executing the attack, while escaping, the terrorists encountered three civilians hiding behind trees outside the fence and approached them. They then shot them at close range. Later, while exiting the park, the terrorists fired rounds in celebration, “thereby evidencing lack of remorse and continued adherence to their terror objective”, according to the chargesheet.
Three Pakistani terrorists identified as Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani were involved in conducting the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, in which 26 innocent tourists and a local were killed. The terrorists had killed those people who were unable to recite the ‘Kalma’ or ‘Kalima’. All three were later killed by Indian security forces in an encounter operation on July 28/29, 2025, in Srinagar.
NIA has named the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), headed by Hafeez Saeed, along with The Resistance Front (TRF) for their role in planning, facilitating, and executing the Pahalgam terror attack.
