Security agencies believe the devastating assault in Pahalgam was orchestrated by an active terror network operating in Jammu and Kashmir, raising fresh concerns about the scale and complexity of militant presence in the region. Recent government records reveal that between 133 and 138 terrorists are currently active, with a significant number of them being foreign operatives.

The data paints a troubling picture: within the Kashmir Valley, 65 foreign terrorists are presently active alongside 13 local recruits. In the Jammu region, officials estimate the presence of 52 to 57 foreign terrorists, in addition to three locals. These figures come in the wake of a brutal attack where four heavily armed terrorists opened fire on unarmed tourists, leading to national outrage. Authorities confirm that the attackers included both local and foreign elements, highlighting the hybrid nature of the threat.

Preliminary investigations have identified four suspects — Adil Guru, Asif Sheikh (also known as Asif Fauji), Sulaiman Shah, and Abu Talha — all reportedly linked to the Falcon Squad, an elite unit within The Resistance Front (TRF). The TRF, believed to be a shadow arm of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has increasingly relied on foreign fighters to carry out high-profile attacks.

Despite intensive search operations by counter-terror units, officials admit that the pursuit has been hindered by support networks tied to Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives. These networks provide logistical aid and intelligence to attackers, often alerting them ahead of security raids, allowing them to evade capture.

Adding a deeper layer to the threat, investigators have identified Saifullah Kasuri — deputy commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba — as the mastermind behind the Pahalgam carnage. Kasuri had recently toured military installations in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During this visit, he reportedly met with officials from Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agency, the ISI, raising serious concerns about state-level collusion in facilitating terrorism.

The government’s findings have reinforced the urgent need for a recalibrated security strategy in the region, one that can counter both internal radicalization and the cross-border terror infrastructure that continues to fuel unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.