INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
in Pulwama, the Jammu and Kashmir police are struggling to collect evidence on the ground, even though intelligence agencies say a Kashmiri
terrorist affiliated to the Jaish-e Mohammad had carried it out
Finding evidence would be crucial, since Pakistan has denied any possible link to the attack
A chain of evidence would also be essential for the international community, in view of India's pitch to blacklist Jaish chief Masood Azhar
under the rules of the United Nations.The terror strategy of not leaving any evidence behind had started in 2016
The first that followed this method was the attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, in which 18 soldiers were killed
For the last two-and-half years, the National Investigation Agency has been struggling to establish the identity of the terrorists from
Pakistan who carried out the attack.Officers of the state police who have been associated with the investigations into the current case say
there is very little evidence
Today, the National Investigation Agency said they have been able to piece together the remains of the car to find its make and engine
The identity of the owner has also been found, but the investigators said 19-year-old Sajjad Bhat is on the run and has joined Jaish.So far
forensic experts, however, have been unable to isolate any remains of the suicide bomber
Under the circumstances, it would be difficult to establish in court that Adil Ahmad Dar, 19-year-old local terrorist, had carried out the
attack.Intelligence agencies had zeroed in on Adil Ahmad Dar on the basis of a video he uploaded online
In the video, he is heard saying, "After a year's wait, I have got the chance to do what I joined the Jaish for," as part of an anti-India
rant.Before today's breakthrough on use of car, Investigators had a little clue on the February 14 terror strike, in which 40 soldiers lost
So far all the information was based on videos released by Jaish-e Mohammad
One of these was the video of a similar attack in Afghanistan, accompanied by a warning about Kashmir
The other is the video on Dar.Jaish has also accepted responsibility for the attack, pointing to Dar as its suicide bomber.The claim has
Police sources said indoctrinating anyone to become a suicide attacker takes years of work
But in this case, there has been zero intelligence that a local man was preparing for a suicide attack
Plus, the entire Jaish leadership in the Valley has been wiped out over the years in various encounters with the security forces, security
forces have said.The use of RDX as the explosive in the car that drove into the convoy has thrown up more questions.Officers say RDX has not
been used in any terror attack in the Kashmir Valley for at least eight years
In 2018, there have been 13 IED attacks in Kashmir
These usually involve the use of ammonium nitrate and gelatine sticks - material available locally.While the nature of the explosive used
this time suggests involvement of Pakistan, what further baffles the investigators is how such an enormous amount of RDX could have been
brought into the Valley, keeping intelligence agencies entirely in the dark.Forensic experts estimate at least 20 kg RDX was used in the
