Pahalgam Terror Attack: Saifullah Khalid named mastermind behind tragedy that claimed 26 lives

The nation is in mourning after a brutal terror attack in the picturesque valley of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where more than 26 people were killed in a targeted firing by terrorists at Baisaran, a hilltop meadow on Tuesday. The Pakistan-based group 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

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Authorities have identified Saifullah Khalid, the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as the chief architect of the massacre. Khalid, a close associate of India’s most wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed, is believed to have orchestrated the ambush with logistical and ideological support from across the border.

Khalid is known to move in luxury vehicles and is closely guarded by heavily armed security personnel. His fierce loyalty to Pakistan and inflammatory speeches reportedly fuel anti-India sentiments among terror recruits and the Pakistani military alike.

Sources indicate that Khalid recently visited Kanganpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where he allegedly delivered a provocative speech to a battalion of the Pakistani Army. The session, reportedly facilitated by Colonel Zahid Zareen Khattak, aimed to incite rebellion against India and intensify jihadi operations in Kashmir.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Khalid has emerged as a key figure in TRF’s operations. On February 2, 2025, he declared that “Kashmir will be captured by February 2, 2026,” vowing intensified attacks.

Terror camps run by PMML and SML, Lashkar’s political wings, continue to train youth in Pakistan’s Abbottabad forests, with active support from the Pakistan Army, according to Indian intelligence reports.

As the nation reels from the horror, there is growing anticipation over how India will respond to this grievous provocation.