NIA chargesheet maps deadly Pahalgam attack

According to the National Investigation Agency’s chargesheet, they sat under a tree and had lunch shortly before storming the scenic meadow

The three Pakistani terrorists carried out the deadly April 22, 2025, attack in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) chargesheet, they sat under a tree and had lunch shortly before storming the scenic meadow. They killed 26 civilians. The 1,597-page document details the planning and execution of one of the deadliest tourist attacks in the region in recent years. The attack was carried out by operatives of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT) and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF).

The attack left 25 tourists and one local pony operator dead in a religion-targeted massacre. The NIA charged seven accused. These included the banned terror outfits LeT and TRF as legal entities. They also charged a top Pakistani handler identified as Sajid Jatt (also known as Saifullah alias Langda) and the three slain terrorists: Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran (or Chhotu), and Hamza Afghani. Two local overground workers (OGWs), Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and his uncle Bashir Ahmad Jothar, were arrested for harbouring the attackers.

On April 21, 2025, the terrorists sought refuge with local pony operators near Baisaran. They arrived in the evening and spoke Urdu with a Punjabi accent. Their bags were hidden. The Jothar duo provided them with food, water, and packed rotis. The attackers asked about security arrangements and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra before leaving around 10 pm. The NIA says the locals were paid for their assistance and had previously hosted the terrorists.

On the day of the attack, the terrorists were seen in the Baisaran Valley area. According to the chargesheet, they sat under a tree and ate lunch shortly before launching the assault. Then, they retrieved blankets from their bags. Draping the blankets over themselves for camouflage, they moved into position near a rivulet to observe tourist activity.

One terrorist wore a helmet-mounted GoPro-style action camera to record the killings. The trio crossed into the meadow and strategically positioned themselves. Two stood near the entry gate by the toilets and dhabas. The third took a position toward the zipline area. They created an ‘enclosed kill zone’ in the central open meadow. The area is accessible only on foot or by pony and is surrounded by dense pine forests.

The assault began at 2:23 pm. At that precise time, the terrorists opened fire. One started with an M-4 carbine, and the others used AK-47 rifles. They deliberately targeted non-Muslims. Attackers asked victims to recite the Kalma (Islamic declaration of faith). Those who could not were shot. In some cases, Hindu men were forced to remove their trousers to check for circumcision. A local pony operator was killed trying to disarm one attacker. Several victims were executed at close range while hiding behind trees. After the massacre, the terrorists fired celebratory shots as they escaped into the pine forests. They exploited the lack of armed security in the area.

The NIA chargesheet highlights strong evidence of cross-border involvement. Investigators found Pakistani-origin mobile phones. IMEIs were traced to Lahore and Karachi. They also found body cameras, Pakistani voter IDs, and food items like chocolates manufactured in Pakistan. The agency traced communications and instructions to the handler Sajid Jatt, who was operating from Pakistan. Security forces neutralised the three terrorists on July 28, 2025, during Operation Mahadev in the Dachigam forests.

TRF initially claimed responsibility but later retracted the statement. The NIA described the attack as part of Pakistan’s ongoing proxy war strategy. Prosecutors have filed the chargesheet in a special NIA court in Jammu, and the case no stands at the trial stage.

Investigators say timely information from the local facilitators could have prevented the tragedy. The massacre devastated families and severely hit Kashmir’s tourism. The NIA chargesheet provides the most comprehensive official account so far of how the Pahalgam horror unfolded that afternoon.

Security forces killed the terrorists in July 2025, and authorities confirmed their identities using biometric and other evidence. In December 2025, the NIA filed a chargesheet in a special court in Jammu, describing a wider pattern of Pakistan-backed proxy war.