NIA Chargesheet Highlights Cross-Border Drone Use and Intelligence Decline in Pahalgam Attack
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet on the 2023 Pahalgam terror attack reveals that cross-border drones successfully delivered arms and ammunition deep into Kashmir's Baramulla district undetected. The attack, which killed 26 people mostly tourists, exposed a shift in terror logistics from traditional infiltration routes to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Experts attribute this to a significant decline in human intelligence gathering between 2022 and 2024, enabling terrorists to operate freely. In response, Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure across the border.