Terrorists Fired In 'Celebration' After 22 April Pahalgam Massacre, Key Witness Told Probe Agencies: Report

A key eyewitness has provided testimony about the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, telling investigators that the terrorists fired “four rounds in the air” in a gory show of “celebration” after murdering 26 civilians in the Baisaran meadows on 22 April, Indian Express reported.

Described as a “star protected eyewitness,” the man was tracked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with assistance from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and central intelligence services.

He reportedly encountered the three Pakistan-based terrorists in Baisaran shortly after the deadly assault.

Last month, the NIA apprehended two local residents — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad accused of sheltering the attackers.

“They disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Toiba,” a NIA spokesperson was quoted as saying IE.

As the investigation progressed, the star witness shared crucial details of those harrowing moments.

“He was asked to recite the kalma, and once he started speaking in his local accent, they spared him. They started celebratory firing — four rounds were shot in the air," IE quoted a source as saying.

Acting on his information, investigators recovered four spent cartridges from the site.

The witness further claimed to have seen Parvaiz and Bashir nearby, allegedly safeguarding the attackers’ belongings, which the terrorists later collected.

Officials have interrogated Parvaiz and Bashir extensively.

“Parvaiz has claimed that a day before the incident, all three attackers came to his house around 3:30 pm and asked for food. They were carrying weapons. His wife served them food, and they sat for around four hours, asking questions related to security arrangements in Baisaran, tourist gathering spots, routes, and timings," a central intelligence source was quoted as saying in the IE report.

Before leaving, the terrorists requested food supplies and handed the family “five notes of Rs 500.”

They then met Bashir and instructed the locals to assemble in Baisaran on 22 April at about 12.30 pm.

One assailant is believed to be Suleiman Shah, previously implicated in the killing of seven workers at the Z-Morh tunnel site on 20 October last year.

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