The arrest of two Kashmiri locals for allegedly harbouring terrorists who carried out the April 22 Pahalgam attack has led the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conclude that all three attackers were from Pakistan.

According to the agency, the terrorists visited the homes of Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Hill Park, Pahalgam, and took food from them. “During questioning, they have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba,” a NIA spokesperson said.

The breakthrough is a departure from what was previously believed about the identities of the attackers. Two days after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the Jammu and Kashmir police had released three sketches – Pakistan nationals Hashim Musa and Ali Bhai alias Talha, and Kashmir local Adil Hussain Thoker. NIA sources now say the three men in the sketches are not the Pahalgam attackers.

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Sources said one of the attackers is believed to be Suleiman Shah, who was involved in the killing of seven employees of a firm constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway on October 20 last year. His co-accused from the attack, Junaid Ramzan Bhat, was killed on December 4 in a gunfight with the J&K police.

From his phone, police had recovered a photo of Junaid along with three other militants. This photo went viral after the April 22 Pahalgam attack and, sources said, was used by the J&K as the basis for the sketches.

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During the investigation, the central agencies and the NIA showed different pictures recovered from Junaid’s phone to the two arrested locals, who recognised the men who had visited them two days before the Pahalgam attack.

“The fresh pictures were also shown to several witnesses, and they too confirmed their presence at the crime scene. All three are Pakistani nationals, including the Z-Morh terror accused Suleman Shah,” said a source.

“Central agencies and the NIA are revisiting past cases and trying to tally ballistic reports so a strong case can be built against these attackers,” the source said.

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Investigators are also looking into whether Suleman was involved in the killing of three Army personnel in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district in August 2023, and in another attack in Jammu’s Poonch district in May last year, wherein an Air Force personnel was killed and four others injured.

Before the NIA arrested the two locals for allegedly sheltering the attackers, the agency had questioned more than 200 people, including pony operators, shopkeepers and photographers. “Parvaiz had a common friend with a pony operator, and their wives shared details of the visitor at their house,” said a source.

The NIA believes the three attackers came to their homes late evening on April 20 and asked them to pack food. Before leaving, they gave them some money and threatened them not to tell anyone.

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“As per the probe, Parvaiz and Bashir knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack,” the spokesperson said, “The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists.” The two have been arrested under section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.