In a significant breakthrough, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday arrested a man for allegedly providing logistical support to terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Kataria, was taken into custody after forensic analysis linked weapons recovered during Operation Mahadev in July to the deadly attack. Security forces had eliminated three gunmen, including the alleged mastermind Suleiman Shah alias Hashim Musa, during the high-intensity operation. A faction of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had claimed responsibility for the April massacre.
Police sources said Kataria arranged logistics and local facilitation for the attackers, playing a crucial role in enabling the strike. He will be produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.
Operation Mahadev: Tracing the Attackers
The arrest comes months after security agencies launched Operation Mahadev following intelligence inputs in May about terrorists hiding in the Dachigam forest near Srinagar. Security forces closely tracked the militants through intercepted encrypted communications sent via China-made devices.
- On July 28, after weeks of surveillance and multiple drone-assisted confirmations, Rashtriya Rifles and Special Forces commandos cornered the group.
- By evening, all three terrorists — including mastermind Hashim Musa — were neutralised.
- Forensic tests conducted in Chandigarh confirmed that the rifles recovered during the operation matched those used in the April Pahalgam killings.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier informed Parliament, “We generated empty bullet shells by firing these rifles and matched them to those found in Pahalgam. It was confirmed that these rifles were used to murder innocent civilians.”
Major Breakthrough for Security Forces
Officials described Kataria’s arrest as a “decisive step” in dismantling the wider terror network responsible for the Pahalgam killings. The breakthrough, they said, underscores the importance of coordinated surveillance, forensic investigation, and joint counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
