Had intel about attack on tourists but in Srinagar, around April 19: Officials
Security was enhanced in and around Srinagar, including near several hotels popular with tourists, and also at tourist hotspots such as Dachigam National Park
The intelligence bureau (IB) and other agencies alerted local security officers in Jammu and Kashmir about the possibility of an attack targeting tourists, but around the time of the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to the union territory (UT) on April 19, and in Srinagar, people familiar with the matter said.
HT learns that in response, security was enhanced in and around Srinagar, including near several hotels popular with tourists, and also at tourist hotspots such as Dachigam National Park, 22 km away from the city.
But PM Narendra Modi’s visit was cancelled on account of bad weather, and when the terrorists struck, killing 26 people, all men, including 25 tourists, 24 of whom were Hindus in a targeted attack, it was in Pahalgam, 90 km away from Srinagar, and on April 22.
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“Nine out of ten times they don’t come to anything but this one proved correct about tourists. The interpretation, which is the trickiest part, got the location wrong,’’ said a senior police officer, confirming that both Army and civilian security officials in Jammu and Kashmir were told to prepare for an attack around the Prime Minister’s visit, at a tourist location near Srinagar.
Four days before the PM’s scheduled visit, taking note of the meteorogical departhment’s warning of bad weather around April 18-19, the Prime Minister’s Office cancelled the trip. The PM would have had to take the chopper to about three sectors and bad weather would have completely upset his plans. Even after the cancellation, security officials didn’t lower their guard and readiness.
HT learns that the director general of police Nalin Prabhat stayed stationed in Srinagar for four days, keeping a track of all areas around Srinagar. On April 22, when the terrorists struck, Prabhat had just landed in Jammu and had to instantly head back. Prabhat did not respond to a request for comment.
To be sure, all officials HT spoke with, confirmed that there was no specific mention of Pahalgam in any of the intelligence inputs they received.
With the benefit of hindsight, they added that it is now clear that after the PM’s visit was cancelled, the terrorists were lying low and waiting for the next opportunity. They didn’t have to wait long. A day after the cancellation, the visit of US vice president JD Vance – known to be in the works for a while—was confirmed in an announcement on April 16.
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The lapse, officials point out, was the inability to anticipate an attack in Baisaran, which is open throughout the year and only closed during the Amarnath Yatra. “The two local men among the terrorists were the ones who corralled the tourists to one side,’’ one of the officials said. “The shots were fired by the two foreign men. Because there was only one entry and exit controlled by the tickets, that made it difficult for the tourists to escape the attackers.”
Since it is now known that the terrorists were living in the area and continue to be in the region, the biggest lapse was of local intelligence, the officials said.
Army officials that HT spoke to on the ground said that were not aware of these inputs.
