Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 27 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that April 22 Pahalgam terror attack took place possibly due to intelligence failure and compared it to the October 7, 2023 strike by terrorist organisation Hamas which stunned Israel, a country famed for its strong intel.
"Obviously, there was no full proof intelligence. There was some failure... But we have got the example of Israel, the world's best intelligence services according to everybody, which were taken by surprise on October 7, just two years ago. It seems to me, just as Israel is waiting till the end of the war before they demand accountability, similarly, I think we too should see the present crisis through and then demand accountability from the government. No country can ever have a foolproof 100 per cent intelligence,' he said.
He pointed out that the successful thwarting of terror attacks often goes unnoticed, while failures are highlighted. Further, he admitted to failures, but urged a focus on the current crisis rather than assigning immediate blame.
"We will never know about the various terror attacks that were successfully thwarted. We only learn about the ones that we failed to thwart. This is normal in any nation. There were failures, I agree, but that should not be our main focus right now...," the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams, stationed at the Pahalgam terror attack site since April 23, have intensified the search for evidence.
The teams, led by an IG, DIG, and SP from the anti-terror agency, are questioning eyewitnesses who observed the April 22 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists, including one Nepali citizen, and left over three dozen others injured. The incident occurred around 2 pm at Baisaran meadow, near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The teams, overseen by an IG, a DIG and an SP from the anti-terror agency, are examining the eyewitnesses who had seen the horrifying attack unfold before their eyes at the peaceful and picturesque Baisaran valley. The eyewitnesses are being questioned in minute detail to piece together the sequence of events that led to one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir," NIA said in a statement.
"The entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists. The teams, aided by forensic and other experts, are checking the entire area thoroughly for evidence to expose the terror conspiracy that led to the horrendous attack that has shocked the nation," NIA further said in the statement.
Entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists.