Adil Ahmed Thoker, Key Accused In Pahalgam Attack, Travelled To Pakistan On Student Visa

Adil Ahmed Thoker, who is a key accused in the brutal Pahalgam attack, had gone to Pakistan in 2018 on a student visa before returning to India in 2024, NDTV reported citing intelligence sources.

Thoker, originally from Gurre village in Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir, is believed to be a mastermind behind the massacre in Baisaran, Pahalgam.

From Kashmir to Pakistan

In 2018, Thoker left his home in Gurre on a student visa for Pakistan. Intelligence reports suggest he was already radicalized before his departure and had ties to banned terror groups operating from across the border. For six years, he underwent ideological and paramilitary training under the influence of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). By late 2024, Thoker appeared in India after crossing the Line of Control (LoC) through the treacherous Poonch-Rajouri sector in October 2024, the report added.

He was accompanied by three to four terrorists, including Hashim Musa (alias Suleman), a Pakistani national also linked to the Pahalgam attack. Thoker reportedly helped Musa infiltrate into Indian territory before moving stealthily through Kishtwar and Anantnag, avoiding security forces by using forested routes.

Thereafter, he was not seen and believed to have reconnected with dormant terror cells, scouting for a high-impact strike to maximize casualties and global attention. The reopening of tourist spots like Baisaran-which had been shut for security reasons-provided the perfect opportunity. By March 2025, visitors had started returning, making it a soft target.

The Bloody Afternoon in Baisaran

On April 22, around 1:50 pm, Thoker and his associates emerged from the pine forests of Baisaran, armed with assault rifles. Witnesses say the terrorists quizzed victims on their religion, demanding they recite Islamic verses. Those who failed were executed on the spot-many shot in the head.

Meanwhile, Adil Hussain Thoker's house was destroyed by the authorities on Thursday. Apart from the houses of four others, including LeT commander Shahid Ahmed Kutte has been razed down.

Officials on Saturday said that houses of the alleged terrorists were demolished in Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir on Friday night.