* Investigating agencies revealed that a Pakistan-based
After the Pahalgam terror attack, not only the terrorists who carried out the attack on the ground, but also the networks operating on social media and digital platforms have been investigated. Hours after the attack, investigating agencies found a suspicious post on social media from the handle ‘Kashmir Fight’. This post contains provocative content including targeting non-natives. When agencies started digitally tracking the post, several important clues led directly to Pakistan. Preliminary investigations revealed that a large online propaganda network was behind the attack. These matters are covered in the NIA charge sheet.
During the investigation, the agencies also found a Telegram channel called ‘Justice League of India‘. Messages promoting Khalistani ideology, extremism and violence are being shared on this channel. The agencies found that the accounts running the channel were linked to the same digital networks linked to the handle ‘Kashmir Fight’. As a result, the investigating agencies started treating the entire case as not just a terrorist attack but also a well-planned online propaganda campaign.
Immediately after the Pahalgam attack, the TRF terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. Immediately after the attack, messages related to the attack were broadcast on channels affiliated with the organization. However, a few days later, the narrative suddenly changed. On the same day that the United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the attack, a new statement was issued on *The Resistance Front Official*, the official Telegram channel of the TRF. In this statement, the organization tried to deny its involvement in the attack and started describing the whole attack as a false flag operation.
In its new statement, TRF claimed that its Telegram channel had been hacked and a previous message claiming responsibility for the attack was fake. The organization also said that the allegations against them were made in haste. The statement questioned the timing of the registration of the FIR, the action of the police, and the procedures of the investigating agencies. The TRF has also tried to mislead and create confusion by referring to old cases like the Chattisingpora massacre, 2001 Parliament attack, and 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
However, digital evidence collected by investigative agencies revealed a completely different story to TRF’s claims. They found that both the post claiming responsibility for the attack and the post denying it were uploaded through digital networks linked to Pakistan. A technical investigation revealed IP addresses used in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Meanwhile, an online activity network related to the Kashmir dispute was linked to an internet service called CMPak Limited, whose location was reported to be Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Based on the mobile phones of the slain terrorists, witness statements and technical evidence, the investigating agencies began to understand the complete picture of the entire network. Investigation revealed that apart from armed terrorists, an organized digital network supporting them was also involved in this attack. Based on this evidence, the NIA learned that the mastermind behind the attack, Sajid Saifullah Jat alias Ali Bhai, was running the operation from Pakistan.
