Intel agencies had flagged potential targeting of tourists

Srinagar

Days before the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, intelligence agencies had flagged the potential targeting of tourists, especially those staying in hotels on the outskirts of Srinagar in the foothills of the Zabarwan range, officials in the know said Saturday.

This prompted a heightened security presence in these areas with top police brass camping in Srinagar to oversee combing operations around Dachigam, Nishat, and adjacent areas.

These areas gained attention and security forces increased patrolling because of a terrorist attack on a construction site in Gangangir, Sonamarg in October last year in which seven people, including a doctor were killed. The area is located on the other side of Zabarwan range overlooking the Srinagar city.

Despite a two-week operation, security forces conducted extensive searches on the outskirts of Srinagar based on the intelligence, but these efforts did not yield any breakthroughs and the operation was called off on 22 April, the day when terrorists targeted tourists in the Pahalgam area, killing 26 of them.

There were inputs to suggest that terrorists wanted to carry out such nefarious designs during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier last month to flag off the first train from Katra to Srinagar.