The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has formally taken over the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, which occurred on April 22, 2025, in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir.

Following the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ directive, the NIA registered a fresh FIR and deployed teams led by senior officials, including an Inspector General (IG), a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), and a Superintendent of Police (SP), to intensify evidence collection at the scene.

The NIA teams, supported by forensic and technical experts, are meticulously scrutinizing the entry and exit points around the attack site for clues about the terrorists’ modus operandi. This includes a thorough examination of the entire area to uncover evidence that could expose the broader terror conspiracy behind the attack.

Investigators are also relying on technical intelligence and assistance from Western agencies to track satellite phone communications possibly linked to the attackers. In addition, the NIA is interrogating dozens of over ground workers (OGWs) and detained militants from LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and other outfits, aiming to identify local facilitators who may have aided the attackers.

Eyewitnesses, including survivors and local residents, are being questioned in detail to reconstruct the sequence of events. Several witnesses reported that there were more than five attackers, all armed with AK-47s and M4 carbines, and that the assault was meticulously planned, with the assailants specifically targeting male Hindu tourists after segregating victims by religion.

The attackers reportedly forced men to prove their religious identity and spared some individuals to "narrate the horrors" to authorities, underscoring the brutality and calculated nature of the incident.

The NIA’s comprehensive approach also involves examining video footage, including material shared by media outlets, to identify suspects and understand the attackers’ movements before and after the massacre. Meanwhile, ground operations by the Army, CRPF, and J&K Police are ongoing to track down the perpetrators, with the investigation focusing on both local and cross-border terror networks.

This multi-agency probe, under the NIA’s leadership, aims to piece together the full extent of the conspiracy, identify all those involved, and bring the perpetrators to justice, as the nation mourns one of the gravest tragedies in recent years.

Agencies