India claims arrest of two over harbouring 'Pahalgam attackers'

New Delhi’s counter-terrorism agency claimed on Sunday it has arrested two men in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) for allegedly harbouring gunmen behind a deadly attack on civilians that sparked a days-long conflict between Pakistan and India.

India’s National Investigation Agency [NIA] said the two suspects were from the Pahalgam area, where gunmen killed 26 people two months ago.

"The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had... selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity," a statement by NIA claimed.

The agency identified the two men as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, claiming the duo "have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack".

New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the attack without making public any evidence, and Islamabad has categorically denied the charge.

The April 22 killings triggered a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures by the nuclear-armed countries and led to intense exchanges of missile, drone and artillery fire.

The four-day conflict left more than 70 people dead on both sides.

Last month, Islamabad and New Delhi carried out cross-border attacks against each other in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident — wherein 26 tourists were killed — after which New Delhi launched airstrikes inside Pakistan prompting the latter to retaliate via Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.