Homes of Suspected Attackers Razed in Kashmir After Deadly Civilian Attack

Indian soldiers have taken drastic action following a horrific attack in Kashmir. They demolished the homes of two men suspected of carrying out the deadliest attack against civilians in nearly two decades.

This attack, which happened in Pahalgam on Tuesday, tragically killed 26 people. The Indian police claim the attackers are part of The Resistance Front (TRF), a group linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Pakistan denies any involvement.

In the wake of the attack, Indian security forces are hunting for the three suspects: Adil Hussain Thokar, a suspected Kashmiri rebel, and two Pakistani citizens named Ali Bhai and Hashim Musa. They are also looking for another suspected rebel, Ashif Sheikh.

The families of the two suspected rebels have been detained by authorities for questioning. Sheikh’s sister, Yasmeena, described the terrifying moment soldiers destroyed her family home in Tral. She said they surrounded their house late Thursday night, and one soldier climbed over the wall before a huge explosion brought the house down. Luckily, no one was home at the time.

Similarly, soldiers razed Thokar’s family home in the nearby Bijbehara area early Friday morning. A police officer, speaking anonymously, confirmed that both Thokar and Sheikh have been active rebels for three to four years and are involved in other attacks against security forces.

The police have even offered a reward of two million rupees ($23,500) for information leading to the arrest of each suspect.