Jammu and Kashmir Police Arrest Suspect Linked to Logistical Support in Pahalgam Attack
In a major development, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have apprehended a man on charges of providing logistical support to terrorists involved in a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam. The attack resulted in the deaths of 26 people in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam.
The individual arrested has been identified as Mohammad Kataria. His arrest followed forensic investigations that connected the weapons seized during Operation Mahadev in July to those used in the tragic April incident. During that operation, security forces neutralized three militants, among them Suleiman Shah, also known as Hashim Musa, who was believed to be the mastermind. The attack had been claimed by a faction of the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
According to police sources, Kataria was instrumental in providing logistical and local support to the attackers, facilitating the execution of the strike. He is set to appear in court and will be placed in judicial custody.
Operation Mahadev: Tracing the Attackers
This arrest follows months of intensive efforts by security agencies who initiated Operation Mahadev after receiving intelligence in May about terrorists taking refuge in the Dachigam forest near Srinagar. Security forces tracked the militants using intercepted communications transmitted through devices made in China.
| 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 neutralized. |
| 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 previously informed Parliament, stating, “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 have hailed Kataria’s arrest as a "decisive step" in dismantling the terror network behind the Pahalgam killings. They emphasized that the success of this breakthrough highlights the critical role of coordinated surveillance, forensic analysis, and joint counter-terrorism operations in the region of Jammu and Kashmir.
