The grotesque terrorist attack on Amarnath Yatra Pilgrims has shaken the nation. So far the investigation has confirmed that the attack was carried out by Laskar-e-Taiba to seek revenge for the encounter of Bashir Lashkari, the commander of the Lashkar in the Valley.
The investigating agencies have also revealed that the mastermind of the attack was Pakistani national and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Abu Ismail.
Who is Abu Ismail:
#Ismail is part of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and is a resident of Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
#In his mid 30s, Ismail has been part of the Lashkar for the past seven years now. He is part of a camp comprising 200 terrorists who have been training to launch attacks in India.
#According to intelligence agencies, Ismail had activated the over ground operatives of the Lashkar in the Valley to carry out the attack. While the number of attackers is still not clear, police suspect that there would have been 5 to 6 of them.
#Ismail also roped in the help of Hizbul Mujahideen locals, which being familiar with the area, were able to assist LeT in logistics.
The probe also shows that the terrorists wanted to take some of the pilgrims hostages. A reconnaissance of the route was conducted for three days. The signal to carry out the attack could have been given on Monday itself. It may be recalled that the police busted a major module of the Lashkar on Monday and the attack could have been timed with this, a report said.