Pahalgam terror attack: India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading misinformation

The Indian government has banned 16 YouTube channels for spreading false information after the Pahalgam attack. The decision was made on the recommendations of the home ministry.

Collectively, these channels have a massive following of over 63 million subscribers. The significant action followed the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). "On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has banned some Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir," government sources told ANI.

The list of banned YouTube channels includes prominent names such as Dawn News, SAMAA TV, ARY News, BOL News, and Geo News, among others. Other YouTube channels are Irsha Bhatti, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, SAMAA Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Sirazi, Mujeeb Farooq, Suno Newz and Razi Naama.

In addition, action has been taken against social media posts that allegedly misrepresented the situation. As per sources, a formal complaint was lodged with the BBC after concerns were raised about the portrayal of the Pahalgam incident, particularly regarding the terminology used for terrorists in their reportage.

A formal letter was issued to the BBC India Head, and monitoring of BBC's reporting will continue. The Indian government reiterated its commitment to combating misinformation that threatens national security and communal harmony.

The move comes two-days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case from Jammu and Kashmir Police and began its investigation into the deadly attack that killed 26 people. 

The NIA took over the case five days after the incident and four days after its team visited the attack site and started supporting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in probing what is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years. NIA teams, which have been camping at the Pahalgam terror attack site since Wednesday, have intensified the search for evidence.

The NIA teams, overseen by an IG, a DIG and an SP from the anti-terror agency, are examining the eyewitnesses who had seen the horrifying attack unfold before their eyes at the peaceful and picturesque Baisaran valley.The eyewitnesses are being questioned in minute detail to piece together the sequence of events that led to one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir. 

The NIA team reached attack site Baisaran on April 23-- a day after terrorists gunned down a group of tourists in the picturesque meadow, which is located around five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Kashmir's Anantnag district.

Meanwhile, the entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists. The NIA teams, aided by forensic and other experts, are checking the entire area thoroughly for evidence to expose the terror conspiracy that led to the horrendous attack that has shocked the nation.

NIA's investigation in the case is significant as 26 tourists, including one Nepali citizen, have lost their lives and over three dozen were injured at Baisaran meadow, near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam, with the clear hand of three Pakistani terrorists and two local terrorists.

The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage. The incident occurred at around 2 pm when terrorists came down from the mountain in Baisaran valley and started firing at the tourists who frequent the place, which is often dubbed as 'mini Switzerland' because of its long, lush green meadows.

Authorities pressed a chopper into service for the evacuation of the injured persons.The attack comes at a time when Kashmir is experiencing a significant uptick in tourist arrivals after years of militancy. Notably, the 38-day Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3.The NIA's move comes amid intelligence agencies compiled a list of 14 local terrorists actively operating in the Union Territory. 

According to sources, these individuals, aged between 20 to 40 years, are actively aiding foreign terrorists from Pakistan by providing logistical and ground-level support.The identified operatives are reportedly affiliated with three major Pakistan-backed terror outfits: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Among them, three are associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, eight with LeT, and three with JeM.

Sources revealed the names of these individuals as: Adil Rehman Dentoo (21), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (28), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (23), Haris Nazir (20), Aamir Nazir Wani (20), Yawar Ahmed Bhat, Asif Ahmed Khanday (24), Naseer Ahmed Wani (21), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (27), Aamir Ahmed Dar, Adnan Safi Dar, Zubair Ahmed Wani (39), Haroon Rashid Ganai (32), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (29).

Dentoo joined LeT in 2021 and actively working as the Sopore district commander of the banned outfit. Asif Ahmed Sheikh, a terrorist of JeM, is the district commander of Awantipora and has been continuously involved in terrorist activities since 2022. Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh is active in Pulwama as an LeT terrorist and has been involved in terrorist activities continuously since 2023. 

Haris Nazir is terrorist from Pulwama and active in LeT since 2023 while Aamir Nazir Wani is also an active terrorist in Pulwama linked to JeM since 2024. Yawar Ahmed Bhat is also completely active in Pulwama and is associated with JeM since 2024.

Asif Ahmed Khanday is terrorist from Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir and he joined Hizbul Mujahideen in July 2015, and is currently an active member of the terror group aiding Pakistani terrorists. Naseer Ahmed Wani is also actively involved in terrorist activities in Shopian since 2019 as an active member of LeT significantly aiding Pakistani terrorists. 

Shahid Ahmed Kutay, another active terrorist in Shopian, is linked with LeT and its proxy group The Resistance Front (TRF) since 2023. Aamir Ahmed Dar, also active in Shopian since 2023, is working with LeT and play a major role as an aide to foreign terrorists. Adnan Safi Dar, who is another active terrorist from Shopian district, is working jointly for LeT and TRF since 2024, and acts as a conduit for information from Pakistani handlers to terrorists.

Zubair Ahmed Wani alias Abu Ubaida alias Usman, is the Chief Operational Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. He is categorized as an A+ active terrorist and significantly aids other terrorists and has been implicated multiple times in attacks on security forces since 2018. Haroon Rashid Ganai, an active Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist also from Anantnag, is on the search radar of security forces. He had earlier traveled to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) where he received training during 2018. He reportedly came back to South Kashmir recently. 

However, Zubair Ahmed Gani, a major terrorist from Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir, is associated with LeT and continuously involved in attacks on security forces and targeted killings. The identification of these local terror aides comes as agencies intensify efforts to dismantle the support networks facilitating cross-border terrorism. 

The April 22nd Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were gunned down by terrorists, including three belongs to Pakistan, has reignited concerns over the growing nexus between foreign terrorists and local recruits.

Security forces have launched coordinated operations across South Kashmir, particularly in Anantnag and Pulwama districts, where many of the listed individuals are believed to be operating. Senior officials indicate that these names are part of a larger intelligence dossier being used to pre-empt further attacks and disrupt terror logistics in the Valley.

The agencies are engaged in finding links of these 14 terrorists with the five terrorists who attacked on the 26 tourists in the Baisaran picturesque meadow.

The release of the list of these 14 local active terrorists is a move followed as investigators identified five terrorists involved in the deadly attack, including three Pakistani nationals. The authorities had earlier also released three sketches of these Pakistani terrorists--Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha. The other two Valley based operatives were identified as Adil Guri and Ahsan. A bounty of Rs 20 lakh on each has also been announced. 

(with inputs from ANI)