Security agencies have conclusively established that the three terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev on July 28 were Pakistani nationals directly responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. This breakthrough comes after investigators recovered unprecedented Pakistani government-issued documents and biometric data, marking the first time such irrefutable proof—including laminated voter slips from Pakistan’s Election Commission—has surfaced from slain militants in Jammu & Kashmir.
The three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives—identified as Suleman Shah (alias Faizal Jatt, who masterminded and led the attack), Abu Hamza (alias Afghan, the second gunman), and Yasir (alias Jibran, the third)—were eliminated following an intense encounter in the Dachigam-Harwan forest near Srinagar. After carrying out the brutal assault at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead, mostly tourists, the trio had been hiding in the forest for months.
A detailed investigation uncovered multiple layers of evidence tying them directly to Pakistan:
Identity documents and biometric records: Laminated voter slips recovered from the site were traced to electoral rolls from Lahore (NA-125) and Gujranwala (NA-79). A damaged satellite phone’s micro-SD chip revealed NADRA biometric data, including fingerprints, facial templates, and family records, all linked to addresses in Changa Manga (Kasur District) and Koiyan village near Rawalakot, PoK.
Pakistani-made items: Wrappers for 'CandyLand' and 'ChocoMax' chocolates, manufactured in Karachi and lot-numbered as part of a PoK shipment from May 2024, were also found at the hideout.
Ballistic and DNA analysis: Shell casings at the Pahalgam massacre site matched AK-103 rifles seized from the slain terrorists. Additionally, DNA samples from a shirt recovered at the crime scene matched mitochondrial DNA from the three men.
Technological forensics: GPS logs retrieved from a Garmin device pinpointed firing positions that corresponded with eyewitness reports. Meanwhile, a Huawei satellite phone used by the group routinely pinged Inmarsat satellites, narrowing their movement area to the Dachigam-Harwan forest region.
Command link evidence: Intercepted conversations from the satellite phone were voice-matched to Sajid Saifullah Jatt, Lashkar-e-Taiba’s south Kashmir commander based in Lahore, proving direct cross-border operational oversight.
Community identification: Four local witnesses later confirmed the identities of the three terrorists as those involved in the Pahalgam massacre during post-encounter identification.
The investigation further revealed that the trio had infiltrated Indian territory through the Gurez sector in May 2022. After crossing over, they received local logistical support around Pahalgam before carrying out the April 22 attack. GPS data helped trace their movements from the massacre site to their eventual hideout, where security forces tracked them down and neutralised them.
Following their deaths, Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Rawalakot chief reportedly led funeral prayers in absentia in PoK, offering further confirmation of their identities and affiliations.