NIA gets 10-day remand of two Pahalgam terror attack accused

A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday granted a 10-day remand of the two accused who were arrested for harbouring Pakistani terrorists behind the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April, officials said.

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A local court had earlier granted the NIA a five-day remand of the two accused on Monday, which expired on Friday.

The NIA produced the duo before the special NIA court, which granted a further 10-day remand, they said.

The two men — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar of Batkote, Pahalgam; and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam — were arrested by the NIA on Sunday in the first major breakthrough in the investigation into the April 22 attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead and 16 others injured.

According to the NIA, the arrested accused disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the terrorists at a seasonal 'dhok' (hut) in Hill Park before the attack, according to the NIA's findings.

The two provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who, on the fateful afternoon, selectively targeted and killed tourists based on their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks in recent memory, the agency said.

The NIA continues its probe into the terror network that enabled the brutal killings in Kashmir's tourism hub.