Anantnag Terror Attack: Security Agencies Zero in on Pakistan-Trained Local Operative

Days after terror attack in Anantnag which killed Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, security agencies suspect that attack is handiwork of local terrorist trained in Pakistan. Attack comes as first provocation by Pakistan based terror group after Operation Sindoor carried out by Indian armed forces in May 2025 in response to deadly terror attack of Pahalgam on April 22, 2025 which killed 26 civilians.

Officials said, “The pattern of the attack clearly hints that attack has been carried out by a Pakistani trained terrorist and the way he used lanes to escape after attack seems that he is local terrorist”. If we analyse the execution of attack, it is done by a highly trained terrorists, likely to height around 6 feet which doesn’t match with local terrorists active in the area. It seems that it is carried out by a Pakistani terrorist but the way he used lanes to escape after the attack suggests that he might be a local trained in Pakistan.

Sources added that they suspect Haroon Rashid Ganai and Adil Hussain Thoker along with two other terrorists who exfiltrated to Pakistan in 2018 have returned and are operating in Kashmir valley. “Regular intercepts have suggested that Haroon Ganai, Adil Thoker and two others have returned back. Haroon and Adil are operating in South Kashmir while two others are operating in North Kashmir. The assessment is purely based on analyses of digital intercepts generated over last few months,” he added.

Haroon is among declared 23 more individuals as 'terrorists' under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act earlier this month. Out of the 23 terrorists announced by MHA on July 04, 17 are Pakistani nationals and 6 are Indian nationals. All of them at present operate terrorist activities from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

As per MHA, Haroon Rashid Ganai alias Shunu is an Indian national (currently residing in Pakistan) and is affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba. He traveled to Pakistan with valid documents in March 2018 and joined Lashkar-e-Taiba there. He incites youths from the Kashmir Valley to join terrorist ranks and supplies arms and ammunition to Over Ground Workers for carrying out terrorist activities.