The houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, Adil Hussain Thokar and Asif Sheikh, were destroyed in separate blasts on Thursday night in Anantnag and Awantipora, respectively. According to officials, the explosions occurred during search operations by security forces when pre-planted explosives inside the houses detonated, leading to their destruction.
Thokar had travelled legally to Pakistan in 2018 through the Attari-Wagah border, where he reportedly received terrorist training. He subsequently returned surreptitiously to Jammu and Kashmir and is suspected to have been a central figure as a guide and logistical coordinator for Pakistani terrorists who were involved in the recent attack in Pahalgam.
Authorities have now announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for information leading to the capture of three wanted LeT terrorists: Adil Hussain Thokar, Ali Bhai, and Hashim Musa. All three are believed to have orchestrated the deadly attack that took place in Baisaran, near Pahalgam, on April 22.
Security agencies revealed that the attackers used code names—Moosa, Yunus, and Asif—during the operation to conceal their identities. The Pahalgam attack, which has been described as the deadliest act of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, resulted in the deaths of 26 people, most of them tourists, and left several others injured.
The assault took place at approximately 1:30 PM in Baisaran Meadow, a picturesque location merely 7 kilometers from the resort town of Pahalgam, famous for its dense pine groves and snow-covered peaks. Witnesses said six foreign terrorists, who were dressed in Indian Army fatigues, attacked people on the basis of their religious identity. Victims were said to have been forced to disclose their names and recite Islamic prayers before being shot at point-blank range.
Despite tight security in the area, including a number of checkpoints and armed patrols, the attackers managed to penetrate the security net and carry out the massacre in what was hitherto considered a secure tourist destination.
