NIA Suspects Pakistan-Based Lashkar-e-Taiba Terrorist Behind Recent Attacks In Jammu-Kashmir, Here's All About It

Saifullah Sajid Jatt, a Pakistan-based operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba's arm, The Resistance Front has been identified as responsible for the recent surge in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a report by The Indian Express.

He has been identified as a "hardcore terrorist" by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and hails from Shangamanga village in Kasur district of Pakistan's Punjab.

As per the same report, Jatt operates from a base camp in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, where he lives with his Indian-origin wife and is carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

He has previously worked in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and is currently involved in Lashkar's recruitment efforts and facilitating terrorist crossings into India.

Jatt is considered an operational commander of Lashkar and manages its terror funding. Security agencies suspect he has a contact person named Qasim in Jammu and Kashmir, for whom the search is ongoing.

The Union Territory has experienced a series of terror attacks in the past few months. Last month, terrorists opened fire on a bus carrying pilgrims, causing it to fall into a gorge in Reasi district, resulting in nine deaths.

Days after the Reasi incident, two armed terrorists attacked a village. Villagers alerted authorities, and a gunfight ensued when security forces arrived, resulting in the death of a CRPF personnel and the terrorists.

In the past two days, five terrorists have been killed in separate encounters in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. These encounters also resulted in the deaths of two soldiers, including a para trooper. These attacks coincide with the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.