Terrorists chose Baisaran due to high tourist footfall, relative isolation: NIA

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 28 (STC): High tourists presence and relative isolation made the terrorists to choose the Baisaran meadow as the target for the dastardly attack in Pahalgam, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Thursday.
A Press Trust of India (PTI) report quoting spokesman for the NIA said, “Three terrorists” were directly involved in the brutal terror attack in which 26 people were killed in cold blood on April 22. The target was also chosen considering the response time from the security agencies.”
The terrorists chose Baisaran as the target due to its “high tourist presence”, “relative isolation” and after considering that the “response (from the security agencies) would take time”, the NIA official said.
As per the report, in the targeted attack, terrorists killed male tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking with their families, including young children and parents, in the meadow near Pahalgam touted as ‘Mini Switzerland’ for its serene beauty.
Notably, the NIA in June arrested two men for harbouring the three Pakistan-based terrorists, who were killed by the armed forces late last month.
The arrested duo – Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Pahalgam – disclosed the identities of the three assailants as Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The two men provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, NIA officials had said.
The three LeT terrorists, who were killed in the July 28 encounter code-named Operation Mahadev on the outskirts of Srinagar, had been hiding in the Dachigam-Harwan forest belt since the attack, they said.

(Straight Talk Communications)