NEW DELHI: In a much needed boost to India's probe against Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed handlers in the Pathankot IAF base attack, the United States handed over evidence to the NIA; over 1,000 pages of conversations between handler Kashif Jaan and the four fidayeen who were shot down in the face-off.
The chats clarified that the terror strike on Pathankot was micro-managed from Pakistan. The terrorists who attacked the base included Nasir Hussain from Punjab, Abu Bakar from Gujranwala, and Umar Faroow and Abdul Qayum from Sindh. They were all in regular contact with their handlers in Pakistan during the 80-hour attack. Sources said the documents also include Kashif Jaan's conversations with other Pakistan-based JeM office-bearers apart from other exchanges over a period of time. NIA officials are currently analysing the documents.
Investigations revealed that other than chats on WhatsApp and other platforms, Jaan was using a Facebook account connected to the same mobile number which the attackers called from Pathankot after abducting Punjab police SP Salwinder Singh. The terrorists had also called another number in Pakistan connected to a Facebook account of Mulla Daadullah. All the accounts were accessed before and around the time of the attack using IP addresses of telecom firms based in Pakistan, and were operated by Jaan.
All the accounts contained jihadi material and videos and comments condemning arrest of jaish cadres in Pakistan by authorities here. The terrorists had also called numbers connected to JeM's financial arm, Al-Rahmat Trust. The recent documents shared by the US will make strong case for India ahead of Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Islamabad next week.
