The two men — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam – 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-Taiba (LeT).
Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack, as per NIA investigations.
The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had, on the fateful afternoon, selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks ever.
The NIA, which has arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, is further investigating the case which was registered after the attack that shook the world on April 22.
Though the J&K Police had released sketches of three terrorists suspected to have been involved in the attack, a day after the incident, the actual number of terrorists is still not known.
Therefore, the arrest of these two men is likely to provide a significant breakthrough to the NIA regarding the actual number of terrorists involved in the attack.