Pathankot terror attack: Proof of Pakistan hand stumps visiting JIT

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday presented evidence of the involvement of Jaish-e-Muhammad militants in the Pathankot airbase attack which the visiting five-member Pakistan Joint Investigation Team ( JIT) reportedly couldn't refute.

The NIA, during a day-long interaction with the JIT, showed them weapons like AK-47s and pistols, binoculars, GPS device, grenades, medicines, clothes, food packets, dates and dry fruits, wire-cutters, and shoes which either had a 'Made in Pakistan' marking or were procured from there.

The JIT was also shown phone numbers and call intercepts from Pakistan during the attack to prove that it originated there.

The phone numbers of Rauf Asghar, brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar, were also shared.

The Pakistani delegation, top sources told TOI, couldn't contradict any of this evidence and quietly took down notes.NIA director general Sharad Kumar said the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere and the Pakistani side was "cooperative".

The NIA also cited similarities between the Pathankot attack and those in Samba and Kathua last year like using the same GPS and wireless sets, the modus operandi of hijacking cars, energy drink 'Red Bull' (common in all attacks), identical wire cutters and arms and ammunition of eastern Europe, Russian and Chinese make which are freely available in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.