Despite launching a massive manhunt to track down the footprints of perpetrators behind the brutal massacre of tourists in the South Kashmir area of Pahalgam, the security forces could not find anything significant during the day.
Ground reports claimed helicopters and drones scanned the Baisaran forest area over Pahalgam in search of the terrorists but failed to track down their footprints.
Preliminary reports indicated a group of four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including two locals, executed the terror plot at the behest of their Pakistan-based handlers to disrupt the peak tourist season and spread the reign of terror in the region.
The two locals, involved in the attack, have been identified as Aadil Thakur of Bijbehara and Aasif Sheikh of Tral.
Reports also claimed the terrorists were armed with sophisticated AK rifles, armour-piercing bullets, and helmet-mounted cameras to record the ‘barbaric’ strike on the Indian tourists holidaying at a famous picnic spot.
Before launching the targeted strike, the terrorist handlers had carefully zeroed in on the Baisaran meadow, a popular hotspot for tourists during the peak summer season.
Since the objective was to derail the blooming tourist season in the valley, the terrorists took advantage of the complacent security environment in the region.
The terrorists were well aware of the fact that none of the security personnel were deployed at the tourist hotspot, and they could freely target the tourists as ‘sitting ducks’.
The Baisaran meadow, located six kilometers uphill from the main town of Pahalgam in the Anantnag district, not only became a death trap for tourists but also provided enough time to the terrorists to flee the area without coming on the radar of the security forces.
After the attack took place around 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, the security forces arrived at the location after about an hour. The terrorists exploited the time lag to their advantage and vanished into the deep jungles before the security forces could launch any counter terrorist operations in the area.
The absence of a road network and undulating terrain further delayed the arrival of security forces and others to rescue the injured after the terrorists opened fire on tourists.
Eyewitness accounts and initial reports suggested the terrorists had a free run for about 15 to 20 minutes in the area.
According to ground reports, several injured succumbed to their injuries due to excessive blood loss as they could not be shifted to the nearby hospital in the absence of direct road connectivity between Pahalgam and Baisaran.
Why tourists and why Pahalgam?
At the same time, the security agencies on Wednesday released the sketches of three men suspected to be involved in the terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, near Pahalgam in south Kashmir.
The men are Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha, officials said. The three terrorists also 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.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday afternoon.