SRINAGAR: In a major stride amid escalating security alerts following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, intelligence units have drawn up a list of 14 homegrown terrorists operating actively within the Union Territory.
Insiders informed that these operatives, aged between 20 and 40, are actively supporting infiltrators from Pakistan by providing essential logistics and groundwork assistance.
The named individuals are linked to three prominent terror factions sponsored by Pakistan: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Of these, three are tied to Hizbul Mujahideen, eight to LeT, and three to JeM.
The sources disclosed the identities of these operatives as: Adil Rehman Dentoo (21), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23), Haris Nazir (20), Aamir Nazir Wani (20), Yawar Ahmed Bhat, Asif Ahmed Khanday (24), Naseer Ahmed Wani (21), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27), Aamir Ahmed Dar, Adnan Safi Dar, Zubair Ahmed Wani (39), Haroon Rashid Ganai (32), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29).
Dentoo, who allied with LeT in 2021, currently serves as the Sopore district chief of the banned network. Asif Ahmed Sheikh, affiliated with JeM, holds the position of Awantipora district commander and has been deeply engaged in terror activities since 2022. Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh is active as an LeT terrorist in Pulwama since 2023. Haris Nazir, also hailing from Pulwama, has been operating under LeTโs banner since 2023, while Aamir Nazir Wani has joined JeMโs ranks in Pulwama from 2024. Similarly, Yawar Ahmed Bhat remains a fully active JeM operative in Pulwama since 2024.
Asif Ahmed Khanday, a terrorist from Shopian, allied with Hizbul Mujahideen in July 2015 and continues to support Pakistani infiltrators. Naseer Ahmed Wani, another active terrorist in Shopian, has been assisting LeTโs operations since 2019. Shahid Ahmed Kutay, also from Shopian, has been linked with LeT and its shadow wing, The Resistance Front (TRF), since 2023.
Likewise, Aamir Ahmed Dar, engaged in terrorist activities since 2023 in Shopian, is closely associated with LeT and aids foreign terrorists. Adnan Safi Dar, another active member from Shopian, has been working simultaneously with LeT and TRF since 2024, serving as an intelligence conduit between handlers across the border and local terrorists.
Zubair Ahmed Wani, also known by aliases Abu Ubaida and Usman, operates as the Chief Operational Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in Anantnag district. Designated an A+ category terrorist, he has persistently facilitated terrorist actions and has been linked to multiple assaults on security personnel since 2018. Haroon Rashid Ganai, another Hizbul operative from Anantnag, is under intense surveillance. He had previously traveled to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) for terrorist training in 2018 and returned recently to South Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Zakir Ahmed Ganie, an influential LeT terrorist from Kulgam, continues to orchestrate attacks against security forces and is involved in targeted killings.
The identification of these 14 local operatives surfaces as intelligence agencies ramp up their efforts to dismantle the underground networks that enable cross-border terrorism.
The horrific Pahalgam incident on April 22 โ where 26 tourists were brutally killed by terrorists has reignited serious concerns about the intensifying collaboration between foreign terrorists and local recruits.
Security teams have initiated joint operations across South Kashmir, particularly zeroing in on Anantnag and Pulwama regions, where many of these terrorists are believed to be active.
Senior officials told The New Indian that these names have been incorporated into an expanding intelligence dossier aimed at averting future attacks and crippling terror infrastructure within the Valley.
Agencies are also investigating possible links between these 14 terrorists and the five attackers who ambushed the 26 tourists in Baisaranโs scenic meadows, near the famous hill town of Pahalgam, around 2 PM on April 22.
The public disclosure of the list of these 14 active terrorists follows the identification of the five culprits responsible for the mass killing โ which included three Pakistani nationals. Authorities had earlier circulated sketches of the three Pakistani terrorists: Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha. The two local operatives among the attackers were identified as Adil Guri and Ahsan.
A cash reward of Rs 20 lakh has been placed on the heads of each of these perpetrators.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with other counter terror units, is presently assisting Jammu and Kashmir Police with the broader inquiry. TRF, an offshoot of the LeT, had claimed responsibility for the heinous attack.
The NIA team is slated to conduct an in-depth investigation at the attack site, gather forensic materials, and help trace all individuals connected to the bloodshed.
