Operation Mahadev, conducted by Indian security forces, has conclusively linked the Pahalgam terror attack perpetrators to Pakistan through a detailed collection of forensic, documentary, testimonial, and electronic evidence.
The three attackers killed on July 28 in the Dachigam-Harwan forest belt near Srinagar were identified as Suleman Shah (code named Faizal Jatt), Abu Hamza (code named Afghan), and Yasi (code named Jibran).

All three were senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and categorized as high-grade commanders responsible for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow that resulted in 26 civilian deaths, mostly Hindu tourists. Indian officials confirmed no local Kashmiris were part of the shooting team, disproving any local involvement.

Key evidence linking the attackers to Pakistan includes government-issued Pakistani voter ID cards found with Suleman Shah and Abu Hamza. These voter slips corresponded to electoral rolls in Lahore (NA-125) and Gujranwala (NA-79), respectively, and their numbers were verified and circulated to Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Additionally, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)-linked Smart-ID chips and a micro-SD card recovered from a damaged satellite phone contained biometric data (fingerprints, facial templates, and family trees) confirming their Pakistani citizenship with addresses in Changa Manga (Kasur district) and Koiyan village near Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Personal items manufactured in Pakistan, notably wrappers of Karachi-based chocolates, were found in the terrorists’ rucksack. The lot numbers on the wrappers were traced to a May 2024 consignment shipped to Muzaffarabad, PoK, reinforcing the Pakistani origin of the attackers.

The attackers’ movements and operational details were tracked extensively. The trio crossed the Line of Control (LoC) near the Gurez sector. Indian Intelligence intercepted their first radio check-in from the Pakistani side.

They sheltered in a seasonal hut ("dhok") at Hill Park near Baisaran, supported by two local Kashmiri helpers, Parvaiz and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, who confessed to providing them overnight shelter and cooked food. Their exact firing positions during the attack were confirmed through GPS waypoints from a Garmin device found with Suleman Shah, matching eyewitness accounts.

Ballistic tests matched the 7.62x39 mm shell casings found in Baisaran with the three AK-103 rifles recovered in the Dachigam encounter. Mitochondrial DNA profiles from blood on a torn shirt at Pahalgam matched perfectly with the DNA of the three terrorist bodies.

Communication signals from the satellite phone used by the attackers pinged the Inmarsat-4 F1 satellite nightly from April 22 to July 25, with triangulation placing them within a 4 km² area inside Harwan forest. Command and control connections led to Sajid Saifullah Jatt, LeT’s south-Kashmir operations chief from Lahore, who was documented as the handlers of the terrorists through voice sample matches. Additionally, Rizwan Anees, LeT Rawalakot Chief, was filmed visiting the families of the slain militants for funeral prayers, a video now part of the Indian dossier.

Multiple layers of irrefutable evidence—government-issued Pakistani IDs, biometric data linked to Pakistan's NADRA, satellite phone logs, chocolate wrappers manufactured in Pakistan, ballistic matches, DNA samples, and witness testimonies—firmly confirm that the Pahalgam attackers were Pakistani nationals and senior LeT operatives.

The attackers’ infiltration route, logistic support, and handlers have been mapped, establishing a direct nexus with Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Taiba leadership. This comprehensive dossier aligns with the statements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha, providing the Indian government with a strong evidentiary basis to attribute the Pahalgam terror attack conclusively to Pakistan-based terrorists.

Based On ANI Report