Terror Trail: Pahalgam Attack Linked To Infiltration From Poonch, Group Active Since 2023

Last Updated:June 23, 2025, 10:40 IST

The group, active for over a year in the Jammu region, is suspected to be involved in at least three major attacks on Indian security forces

Security personnel keep vigil, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in Srinagar. (Image: PTI/S Irfan)

Security agencies have pieced together the terror trail behind the recent Pahalgam attack, revealing that the militant group infiltrated through Dehra Ki Gali (DKG) in Poonch and operated across Jammu and Kashmir since late 2022 or early 2023.

The group, active for over a year in the Jammu region, is suspected to be involved in at least three major attacks on Indian security forces before it moved operations into Kashmir in the second half of 2024.

Origins in Poonch: Deadly Ambushes And Strategic Movements

The group’s first established act of violence came on December 21, 2023, in an ambush at Dera Ki Gali in the Bufliaz area of Surankote, Poonch, where four Indian Army soldiers were killed in action. Intelligence inputs later confirmed their involvement in another attack on May 2024, when they ambushed an Indian Air Force convoy at Bakrabal Mohalla near Sanai, also in Surankote.

After months of operating in Poonch’s dense forests and mountainous terrain, the group is believed to have shifted base to Kashmir via the same DKG-Bufliaz route, around August–September 2024.

Movement Into Kashmir: Splitting For Coordinated Strikes

Upon reaching Budgam, the group split into two smaller modules, one moving towards Gulmarg, and the other to Sonmarg. On October 20, Junaid, a local militant, along with a Pakistani associate, fired on non-local workers near Sonmarg. Days later, on October 26, another team launched an attack on Army trucks in Gulmarg.

In a major counter-insurgency operation, Junaid was trapped near Harwan in Srinagar alongside a Pakistani terrorist. Only Junaid was neutralised during the operation, which then extended over 15 days in search of the remaining operatives. A breakthrough came when images retrieved from Junaid’s phone confirmed the group’s involvement in earlier attacks in Poonch, linking their violent trajectory across regions.

Convergence And The Pahalgam Attack

Investigations now suggest that the two sub-groups regrouped before executing the Pahalgam attack, marking a dangerous consolidation of resources and planning. Security agencies involved in the post-attack response intercepted communication signals from three locations, Hapatnar, Tral, and DH Pora—suggesting the group’s broader footprint and possible safe zones.

Sources suggest the communication signals may have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt search efforts in the forested region.

Terrain Tactics: Navigating Without Roads

A key revelation from the probe is the group’s exclusive use of mountain routes, bypassing road surveillance entirely. The interconnected mountain ranges provided ideal cover for movement and regrouping, complicating tracking efforts for security forces.

With the pattern of attacks now becoming clearer, agencies continue to intensify counter-terror operations across the Kashmir Valley, focusing on isolating the remaining members of this highly mobile and lethal group.

Ieshan Wani

Ieshan Wani, senior correspondent, CNN-News18, has over eight years of experience in reporting, producing and editing news for broadcast, digital and print platforms. His reporting has mostly been from Kashmir....Read More

Ieshan Wani, senior correspondent, CNN-News18, has over eight years of experience in reporting, producing and editing news for broadcast, digital and print platforms. His reporting has mostly been from Kashmir....

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