India Eliminates All Suspects Linked to Kashmir's Pahalgam Attack

India’s Home Minister Amit Shah announced that three suspected militants killed in Indian-administered Kashmir were responsible for the deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. The attack, carried out in Baisaran near the town of Pahalgam, triggered a four-day intense military standoff in May between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbors. The standoff resulted in the deaths of over 70 people on both sides.

Shah’s remarks came a day after the Indian military, paramilitary forces, and police conducted a joint operation in the mountainous Dachigam region, about 30 kilometers from Srinagar. The three heavily armed suspects were killed during this operation. Shah confirmed in his statement to Parliament that all three attackers were Pakistani nationals, with at least two affiliated with the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. He emphasized that Indian security agencies had gathered conclusive forensic and witness evidence linking the suspects to the April massacre.

Following the Pahalgam attack, Indian authorities held an emergency security meeting where they decided that the attackers should not be allowed to escape across the border into Pakistan. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the weapons recovered from the militants—three rifles—were the same ones used in the April attack, further solidifying their involvement.

India blamed Pakistan for providing support to the attackers, a claim that Islamabad strongly denied. Pakistan rejected the allegations and maintained that it only supports diplomatic efforts for the Kashmiri people's self-determination. Nonetheless, the accusations reignited tensions between the two nations and brought back focus on the long-standing Kashmir conflict.

The attack in Pahalgam was particularly brutal, with survivors reporting that the militants separated men from women and children and asked some to recite the Muslim declaration of faith before opening fire. Among the 26 victims, all were Indian nationals except one man from Nepal.

Initially, an armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to be a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. However, amid growing public outrage and criticism, TRF later withdrew its claim. Earlier this month, the United States officially designated TRF as a “foreign terrorist organization,” indicating rising international concern over its activities.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, remains a highly contentious area divided between India and Pakistan since both countries gained independence from British rule in 1947. Despite several peace efforts, the two countries have fought multiple wars and skirmishes over the territory.

Since 1989, the region has witnessed a violent insurgency with Kashmiri rebels seeking either complete independence or a merger with Pakistan. India continues to accuse Pakistan of supporting terrorism in the region, while Pakistan insists its involvement is limited to diplomatic backing of the Kashmiri cause.

In conclusion, India’s declaration that all suspects involved in the Pahalgam attack have been neutralized marks a significant development in the ongoing security operations in Kashmir. However, the broader geopolitical tensions and the deep-rooted Kashmir conflict remain unresolved, continuing to fuel instability in the region.