NIA On Pahalgam Terrorists: Sketches Of Terrorists Misidentified

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has clarified that the initial sketches released by Jammu and Kashmir Police after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, were not linked to the actual perpetrators. According to security agencies, the sketches of three individuals Hashim Musa, Ali Bhai alias Talha, and Adil Hussain Thoker  were drawn based on a photograph found on a mobile phone recovered from an unrelated shootout in December 2024.

After a recent encounter, the NIA confirmed that the real attackers were different individuals. The sketches created early on led to confusion, which the latest forensic evidence has now resolved.

Mastermind and Associates Killed in Operation Mahadev

Indian Army para commandos neutralised three terrorists during Operation Mahadev in Mulnar on July 28, 2025, located in the Harwan area near Dachigam National Park, on the outskirts of Srinagar. Among the slain was Suleiman alias Asif, identified as the mastermind behind the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

Two other operatives were also killed during the encounter. Security agencies confirmed that all three were Pakistani nationals and active members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group. They had been hiding in the forest area of Dachigam-Harwan since the day of the attack, according to intelligence sources.

Pakistani ID Cards and Chocolates Found on Terrorists

Security forces recovered two laminated voter slips issued by the Pakistan Election Commission from the bodies of Suleiman Shah and Abu Hamza. The serial numbers linked them to Lahore (NA-125) and Gujranwala (NA-79) constituencies. A damaged satellite phone recovered from the site carried a micro-SD chip containing NADRA biometric records, including fingerprints, family tree, and facial templates.

These matched identities in Changa Manga (Kasur) and Koiyan village near Rawalakot, PoK. Additionally, wrappers of Karachi-made chocolates “Candyland” and “ChocoMax” were found in a rucksack with spare rifle magazines, traced back to a May 2024 consignment shipped to Muzaffarabad.

Timeline and Route of Infiltration Revealed by Intelligence Agencies

Intelligence agencies confirmed that the terrorists crossed the Line of Control (LoC) near the Gurez sector in May 2022. Radio intercepts from Pakistani handlers confirmed their first check-in upon entering Indian territory. On April 21, 2025, the trio took shelter in a seasonal hut in Hill Park, around 2 km from Baisaran.

The next afternoon, they reached the Baisaran meadow and carried out the attack at 2:30 PM before escaping into the forests of Dachigam. Two local helpers who provided food and shelter, Parvaiz and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, have been detained for questioning.

Forensics and Digital Evidence Link Terrorists to the Attack

Forensic teams matched 7.62 × 39 mm casings found at Baisaran with the three AK-103 rifles recovered after the July 28 encounter. The striation marks showed a 100% match. DNA extracted from blood-stained clothing at the Pahalgam site also matched mitochondrial profiles of the terrorists killed in Dachigam.

A Huawei satellite phone recovered from the site had been pinging Inmarsat-4 F1 satellites nightly between April 22 and July 25, confirming their location within a 4 km zone in Harwan forest. GPS waypoints from Suleiman Shah’s Garmin matched the firing positions recorded by eyewitnesses during the attack.

Pakistan-Based LeT Leaders Controlled the Operation

Indian agencies have identified Sajid Saifullah Jatt, the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief of south Kashmir operations, as the handler of the slain terrorists. He resides in Changa Manga, Lahore. Voice samples from the recovered satellite phone matched his previously intercepted calls. Rizwan Anees, LeT’s Rawalakot head, reportedly visited the homes of the deceased attackers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on July 29 to organise funeral prayers without bodies (ghibana namaz).

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