Srinagar: India’s anti-terrorism agency has filed charges against Pakistan-based militant groups and six individuals over an April attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 men and sparked the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in decades.
The violence erupted after militants opened fire on a group of Hindu tourists in the Pahalgam area, a popular destination in the Kashmir Valley. New Delhi has said Pakistan backed the attack, an allegation Islamabad has repeatedly denied.
According to India’s National Investigation Agency, the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot, The Resistance Front, were responsible for planning, facilitating, and carrying out the attack. The charges were included in a 1,597-page filing submitted to a special court in the Jammu region.
Three Pakistani nationals who were killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar in July were named in the case and charged posthumously. Two other accused who are already in custody were also charged, along with a man alleged to have acted as a handler for militants operating from Pakistan.
NIA Chargesheets Pak- Based LeT/TRF & 6 other Accused in Pahalgam Terror Attack Case pic.twitter.com/yDnFPw2DGi
— NIA India (@NIA_India) December 15, 2025
Investigators said the probe, which lasted eight months, traced the conspiracy back to Pakistan. The agency said the groups and individuals were charged under provisions related to waging war against India.
The April attack triggered a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, leading to intense cross-border hostilities before the situation eased. Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges.
The filing marks the first formal legal action taken by India in connection with the deadly tourist attack, as investigations into militant networks operating in the region continue.
