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.
Sources in the security establishment told ThePrint that Thoker, a native of Guri village in Bijbehara subdivision of Anantnag district, comes from a land-owning family. One of three siblings, he completed his post-graduation and started working in Anantnag as a teacher.
“He has two brothers. His family also owns a good chunk of land here,” said one source.
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)
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There needs to be severe consequences that serve as an effective deterrent. The Muslim leadership, actors etc gets away by saying terrorists are not Muslims when in fact they sought out and killed Hindus and non Muslims. Families get away saying the son strayed we are good people. A radicalized individual was allowed to teach children. We dont know how many he radicalized in turn. We should consider this with the same serious as a spread of disease and apply a quarantine. All family members will be under scrutiny until they can effectively absolve themselves of the connection. All kids taught by this teacher should be interviewed to see how far the radicalization has spread. All politicians who supported people like this, should be made to face consequences. Especially politicians and powerful local leaders who play with terrorists need to have financials consequences. Land and property should be forfeit. They should lose the right to work with children. In USA children of parents sentenced for their crimes can become wards of the state. Especially those of cult members.
Once is jihadi is always jihadi