Pahalgam attacker Thoker was once a teacher, regular at militants' funerals before moving to Pakistan
New Delhi: A postgraduate who worked as a teacher, Adil Hussain Thoker who J&K police say was part of the group of terrorists that executed the Pahalgam attack, regularly attended funerals of suspected militants killed in encounters with security forces.
Thoker's alleged radicalisation began during his time in college. It was also during this time that he began regularly attending religious congregations and funerals of suspected militants killed in encounters with security forces. 'This began way before he left for Pakistan. At that time no one suspected anything since a lot of people would attend funerals of militants. Suspicion arose when he disappeared in 2018,' a second source said.
In 2018, Thoker is believed to have travelled to Pakistan.
'Intelligence suggests he was in touch with terror outfits already and went to Pakistan to receive training. He and the other terrorists entered Kashmir late last year, together. We suspect they were hiding in various areas including Poonch-Rajouri, Doda Kishtwar, among others,' said a third source.
Local intelligence had hinted at Thoker's presence in the area days before the attack in Pahalgam, it is learnt. There were also intelligence inputs about the possible presence of operatives of Pakistan-based terror outfits in the Kashmir valley who were trying to gather information on tourists and hotels in Pahalgam.
On Tuesday, at least four terrorists—armed with AK-47s, M4 Carbines and body cameras—singled out men on the basis of their religion and shot them at close range. At least 25 Indian nationals and a Nepalese citizen were killed in the attack. ThePrint earlier reported on how the attack unfolded and how a preliminary investigation suggests that the attackers may have been sharing intelligence with their Pakistan-based handlers in real time.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: How is Pahalgam victim Vinay Narwal's family dealing with social media attention?
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