Desk: After a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, there have been several claims on social media regarding suspicious military activities by Pakistan near the border. Screenshots from the microblogging site X are being shared, showing unusual movements of key Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft, tracked using the website Flightradar24. According to these claims, several PAF aircraft from the Southern Air Command in Karachi have been observed heading towards northern locations near Lahore and Rawalpindi, which are considered very close to India’s northern border.
Particular attention has been drawn to the activities of two flights, a Lockheed C-130E Hercules transport aircraft identified as PAF198, and an Embraer Phenom 100 jet labeled PAF101. These are typically used for VIP transport or clandestine operations. However, all claims made on X remain unverified, with no official confirmation from either the Pakistan Air Force or the Indian government.
On April 22nd around 2:30 PM, a terrorist attack targeted tourists at Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, resulting in indiscriminate gunfire that claimed the lives of 28 people, including two foreign tourists and two locals. This attack is considered one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in recent years in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the attack, Home Minister Amit Shah immediately visited Jammu and Kashmir and held discussions with senior military officials. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi, who was on a visit to Saudi Arabia, cut short his trip and is returning midway.
The terrorist organization The Resistance Front (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the attack. TRF is seen as a front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Jammu and Kashmir. In their statement, TRF mentioned that the attack was in response to the issuance of domicile certificates to non-locals in large numbers in Jammu and Kashmir.