New information has emerged in the investigation into the terrorist attack in Baisaran Valley of Pehelgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is looking into whether the Gaza armed group Hamas was behind the attack. Sources claim that whether the terrorists involved in the attack received any help from Hamas is also under investigation.
Tensions rose between India and Pakistan after the Pehalgam attack. Investigators have long suspected that Pakistan-based terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front, TRF, were involved in the attack. Now whether or not Hamas had any direct or indirect links with these organizations is also at the center of the investigation.
The attack strategy was cited as one of the reasons Hamas was named in the investigation. According to investigators, Hamas’ tactical approach showed some similarities to the type of attack used in Pehelgam. Israel claimed that Hamas’ methods coincided with attacks on April 22, when a total of 26 people, including local residents, were killed.
The mastermind behind the Pehelgam attack has earlier been accused of having links with Pakistan. The deceased are Sajid Jat alias Saifullah Sajid and Habibullah Tabassum. Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI allegedly helped him live as a civilian.
A bank in Karachi has also been named in the investigation. Two mobile phones were recovered during Operation Mahadev aimed at killing terrorists. According to sources, a mobile phone was bought on loan from a bank in Karachi. It is also alleged that Lashkar-e-Taiba used the bank to transfer money through the bank
However, the role of Hamas in the Pehelgam attack is still under investigation. The veracity of the allegations will be clear only after the formal investigation by the NIA is over. However, the involvement of Hamas in this incident has caused a stir.