NIA probes possible Hamas footprint in Pahalgam terror attack

The National Investigation Agency is probing potential operational and tactical links between Pakistan-backed terror outfits LeT and JeM and the militant group Hamas, following intelligence reports of coordination meetings and shared attack strategies before the Pahalgam strike

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is investigating the Pahalgam terror attack, has indicated that it will examine possible links between Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations and the Palestinian militant group Hamas as part of its probe.

Investigators will probe whether the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and The Resistance Front maintain any operational, financial, or ideological connections with Hamas. The agency is also expected to explore any potential links between the attackers and Al-Qaeda as part of its wider investigation.

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India’s intelligence agencies have previously flagged the presence of several Hamas leaders in Pakistan. According to intelligence inputs, they were seen interacting with members of Pakistan-based terror outfits, including LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and are believed to have participated in several meetings with leaders of these groups.

An official said the NIA is examining a crucial aspect of the Pahalgam terror attack investigation. According to the official, Indian security agencies have repeatedly highlighted efforts by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to forge ties between terror groups operating under its influence and internationally active extremist organisations.

“If such links are established, it would indicate that Pakistan-backed terror networks are seeking to involve internationally active extremist groups in their campaign against India,” the official said.

Ahead of the Pahalgam attack, intelligence agencies had noted the presence of several Hamas leaders in Pakistan. Officials said interactions between these figures and members of Pakistan-based terror groups appeared to extend beyond ideological exchanges and included discussions on operational matters.

Another official said that groups such as Hamas and Al-Qaeda possess significantly greater operational capabilities than Pakistan-based outfits like LeT and JeM. Hamas has been engaged in prolonged and sustained conflict with Israel for years, making it a battle-hardened organisation. The official noted that, unlike many Pakistan-backed groups that have largely relied on sporadic attacks, Hamas has gained extensive combat experience through continuous warfare, enhancing its tactical proficiency and operational effectiveness.

“The Jaish or the Lashkar, on the other hand, have focused on specific attacks, largely in Jammu and Kashmir. They have not engaged in a continued war, unlike Hamas,” the official said.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that this plan of bringing in international players is a sign of something big that the ISI is planning. “It wants its terror proxies to launch attacks on India on the scale at which Hamas does on Israel,” the official said.

If the ISI succeeds in bringing together Hamas with LeT and JeM, Indian security agencies could face a far more serious challenge. India has considerable experience in dealing with the methods and attack patterns traditionally employed by Lashkar and Jaish. However, if these groups begin adopting the tactics and operational strategies used by Hamas, security forces may find themselves confronting a new and more complex form of warfare that could prove difficult to counter in its initial stages.

Officials say the ISI’s strategy is to keep Indian security forces continuously engaged through sustained attacks carried out by terror groups. This is a sign that Pakistan does not want its army to engage in a direct battle, as this would lead to escalation internationally.

“However, when the terror group is tasked with this battle, the dynamics and optics would be different,” an official said.

Since the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has been looking for options whereby it can continuously bleed India. Operation Sindoor proved that the Lashkar and Jaish are unable to handle a big conflict, as they were beaten down by the armed forces. Both groups lost significant infrastructure during the operation.

Officials warn that the ISI has been desperately pushing international players to train its terror proxies. The official said that there had been meetings before the Pahalgam attack. Post the attack, at least four meetings between the LeT, JeM, and Hamas have been held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, officials say.

The Intelligence agencies learnt that three months before the Pahalgam attack, Hamas leaders were seen at a public rally in Pakistan along with the JeM and LeT leaders.

An official said that, apart from probing possible links, the NIA is also studying the operational similarities between the attack methods of Hamas and the manner in which the Pahalgam attack was carried out by the terrorists. An initial assessment drew similarities in terms of planning, coordination, and execution. These operational parallels are expected to form an important part of the NIA’s investigation, the official added.