Pahalgam Attack: Lashkar Operative, Held For Aiding Terrorists, Met Them Four Times

Katari, a key Lashkar-e-Taiba (TRF) operative and a native of Kulgam district, was called in for questioning for two days, after which he was formally arrested. (News18)

Lashkar operative Mohammad Yousuf Katari, who was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for providing logistical support to terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, has revealed that he had met the assailants at least four times, officials said on Sunday.

As per the probe officials, Katari admitted that he had provided the terrorists logistical support, including an Android phone charger, which became key evidence leading to his arrest, news agency PTI reported.

During the interrogation, the Over Ground Worker (OGW) admitted that he met the three terrorists who gunned down the innocent civilians and tourists in Pahalgam– Sulieman alias Asif, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani– on four occasions in the Zabarwan hills outside Srinagar city and also guided them through the difficult terrain, officials added.

Katari was arrested on September 24 after an analysis of weapons seized during July’s Operation Mahadev. He remains in police custody till October 6.

Before his arrest, Katari, a native of Kulgam district, was called in for questioning for two days. He has been held under Section 7/25 of the Arms Act, Sections 13, 16, 18, 20, and 38 of the UAPA.

During his initial interrogation, Katari had confessed to providing logistical support to the slain terrorists by supplying the phone, thus confirming his involvement in their operations.

During Operation Mahadev, security forces found several items, including guns, arms, and three mobile chargers from the encounter site.

Police zeroed in on Katari after examining a partially destroyed Android mobile phone charger, one of the several items recovered during the operation.

The Srinagar police at length tracked down the original owner of the charger, who confirmed selling the phone to a dealer, a piece of information that, by and by, led police to Katari.

The NIA has so far arrested two people in connection with the April 22 terror attack for allegedly providing logistical support and shelter to terrorists.

Pahalgam Attack

In one of the biggest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, killing at least 26 people. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar offshoot, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

After two weeks, India bombed nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7, in pre-dawn strikes that killed at least 100 terrorists.

Operation Mahadev

Later, Operation Mahadev unfolded over weeks starting May 22, when security forces received information about terrorists hiding in Dachigam near Srinagar. After weeks of observation, the assault began on July 28.

Army’s elite para commandos gunned down Sulieman alias Asif, the alleged mastermind of the April 22 attack, along with two of his associates, in an encounter at Mulnar in Harwan area near Dachigam National Park.

The other terrorists killed in the action were identified as Jibran, who was allegedly involved in the Sonamarg Tunnel attack last year, and Hamza Afghani.

(With inputs from PTI)