Pahalgam attack: Houses of two LeT terrorists destroyed in blasts

Jammu, April 25 (IANS) The houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, Adil Hussain Thoker and Asif Sheikh, who were behind the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were brutally killed, were destroyed in separate blasts in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The blast happened on Thursday night, said sources, adding that some explosives were kept inside their houses, which went off.

Thoker, a native of Anantnag district, is one of the key accused in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. He had reportedly travelled to Pakistan in 2018, where he received terror training before returning to Jammu and Kashmir last year. Police believe he has been acting as a local guide for the Pakistani terrorists.

Sheikh, a resident of Pulwama, is suspected to be involved in the attack.

Police on Thursday released sketches of Thoker and two other terrorists said to be involved in the Pahalgam attack.

The police said the other two suspects were Pakistani nationals and announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for credible information leading to their arrests. According to the notices made public by the police on X, the other two suspects are: Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai.

They are also believed to be members of the Pakistan-based terror outfit.

The terror attack took place in Pahalgam's Baisaran -- dubbed "mini Switzerland", which is surrounded by dense forests. Twenty-five tourists, including one Nepali national and a local man, were shot dead by terrorists. The attack was one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in the region in recent years.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a powerful warning to the "enemies" of the nation, stating that India will "identify, trace, and punish" every terrorist and their supporters, pursuing them to the "ends of the Earth."

He said that a stringent punishment will be given to the terrorists and those backing them. PM Modi said, "This attack was not only on the unarmed tourists, but the enemies of the nation have dared to attack the soul of India. I would like to make it clear that those who have carried out this terrorist attack and those who have planned it will get a bigger punishment than they can imagine. We will punish them."

"Today, from the soil of Bihar, I tell the entire world -- India will identify, trace and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth. India's spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure justice is done. The entire nation is firm in this resolve. Everyone who believes in humanity is with us.'

--IANS

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