Jammu & Kashmir, June 26 -- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday came out in strong defence of local residents following the arrest of two Kashmiri men by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the deadly April 22 Pahalgam militant attack that claimed 26 lives, most of them tourists.

Dismissing allegations of voluntary involvement by locals, Abdullah stated, "There was no local involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Those arrested were forced to help the militants under duress."

The NIA had earlier arrested two residents of Pahalgam - Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar - for allegedly sheltering three heavily armed militants in a seasonal hut in Hill Park ahead of the attack. The agency cl...