Pahalgam fallout: Fearing India hit, Pakistan empties out terror launch pads off LoC

NEW DELHI: Scores of Pakistani terrorists who were holed up at launchpads in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) just across the international border or LoC - waiting to infiltrate into J&K - have vacated the launchpads and retreated deeper into POK or Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Sources in the security establishment cited latest intelligence reports indicating that at least three major POK launchpads across the Jammu division - in Shakargarh adjoining Kathua, Samahni adjoining Nowshera and Sukhmal adjoining Hiranagar - where 10-12 terrorists each from Lashker-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammed and other outfits were present before April 22, awaiting their turn to be pushed across the IB/LoC into India by Pakistan Rangers or Pakistan Army, are now empty.
"Pakistan is spooked by memories of the 2019 surgical strikes by India on terror camps in Balakot, etc. It is clear that in the wake of the outrage over the Pahalgam carnage, shared by countries across the world, the terrorists have been directed to vacate the launchpads and return to bases deeper in Pakistan, lest their terror hideouts are once again hit in retaliatory strikes by the Indian forces," a senior intelligence officer told TOI.

Sources said even Pakistan Army or Pakistan Rangers, that were normally present at the terror launchpads to facilitate the foreign terrorists' infiltration across LoC and IB respectively, have left their posts in POK.
The role of Pakistan in the Pahalgam terror conspiracy has emerged during investigations by NIA and other agencies. The Pakistani assailant involved in the attack, Hashim Musa, had served in Pakistan Army's special forces before ISI is believed to have loaned him to LeT for strikes against non-locals and security forces in Kashmir. The terror masterminds in Pakistan are now talking to terrorists and overground workers (OGWs) in Kashmir through encrypted app Ultra, with evidence pointing to the app's use in Tral coinciding with the Pahalgam attack. However, the encryption offered by Ultra amply secures both the chats and those at the other end, in this case Pakistani handlers. Electronic surveillance has thrown up chats wherein Kashmiri OGWs are discussing the presence of Pakistani terrorists in Pahalgam before the attack, and the need to "help and guide them."
Agencies have so far zeroed in on 15 local OGWs who they suspect were aware of the terror conspiracy and had guided and arranged logistics for the Pahalgam attackers, besides helping them with reconnaissance of the site.