Adil Hussain Thoker, a postgraduate and former teacher who, according to J&K police, was involved in the group behind the Pahalgam attack, was known to frequently attend the funerals of suspected militants killed in encounters with security forces.
Sources in the security establishment said that Thoker, a resident of Guri village in the Bijbehara subdivision of the Anantnag district, hails from a land-owning family. He is one of three siblings, and he completed his post-graduation studies and began working as a teacher in Anantnag.
“He has two brothers, and the family owns a considerable amount of land here,” said one source. According to officials, Thoker’s alleged radicalisation began during his college years. It was during this period that he reportedly started attending religious gatherings and funerals of suspected militants killed in encounters with security forces. “This started well before he left for Pakistan. Back then, no one thought much of it since many locals attended such funerals. It was only when he went missing in 2018 that suspicions were raised,” said another source.
In 2018, Thoker is believed to have travelled to Pakistan. “Intelligence indicates he was already in contact with terror groups and went to Pakistan for training. He and the other operatives are thought to have infiltrated Kashmir together late last year. We suspect they were hiding in various regions, including Poonch-Rajouri and Doda-Kishtwar,” said a third source.
Local intelligence had indicated Thoker’s presence in the area just days before the Pahalgam attack, according to sources. There were also reports of operatives linked to Pakistan-based terror groups gathering information on tourists and hotels in the Kashmir Valley.
On Tuesday, at least four heavily armed terrorists—carrying AK-47s, M4 carbines, and body cameras—targeted victims based on their religion, shooting them at close range. The attack claimed the lives of at least 26 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen. Preliminary investigations suggest the attackers may have been relaying information to handlers based in Pakistan in real-time.
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