India charges militant-groups, 6 men over Pahalgam attack

NIA charges Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot for alleged role in planning, facilitating, executing the attack

India's anti-terrorism agency on Monday charged militant groups and six individuals over an April attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 men, and triggered intense fighting between India and Pakistan.

The fighting, the worst between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades, was sparked when militants opened fire on Hindu tourists in the Pahalgam region of Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi said the attack was backed by Pakistan, allegations which Islamabad has denied.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), were charged for their alleged role in "planning, facilitating, and executing the Pahalgam attack", according to a statement from India's anti-terrorism agency.

Three men killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev in July in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir, were charged posthumously, the statement said. Another two men already in custody were charged, and a man accused of being a "Pakistani" terrorist handler.

A spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The 1,597-page document was filed before a special court in the Jammu region of India, and contained the first formal charges over the attack.

The NIA claims it has traced the conspiracy to Pakistan during a probe that lasted eight months, the statement said, adding that the LeT and TRF, along with the six men, were charged with waging war against India.