The Jammu and Kashmir security forces have confirmed that the three terrorists neutralised in the Dachigam forest encounter on July 28 were Pakistani nationals and top operatives of the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The men were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people in Baisaran meadow.
The terrorists were gunned down during ‘Operation Mahadev’, a months-long mission to locate and eliminate the perpetrators of the massacre. Their identities were confirmed using biometric data from Pakistan’s NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority), voter slips issued by the Pakistan Election Commission, GPS logs, and satellite phone data.
Identified Terrorists:
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Suleman Shah alias Faizal Jatt – A-category terrorist, mastermind and lead shooter.
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Abu Hamza alias Afghan – A-grade commander and second gunman.
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Yasir alias Jibran – A-grade commander and third shooter.
Authorities recovered laminated voter slips from Shah and Hamza, issued by Pakistan’s Election Commission, corresponding to constituencies NA-125 (Lahore) and NA-79 (Gujranwala).
From one of the bodies, officials also retrieved a micro-SD card from a damaged satellite phone, which contained NADRA-linked Smart-ID data including fingerprints, facial recognition scans, and family information. These data points confirmed the terrorists’ origins from Changa Manga (Kasur district) and Koiyan village near Rawalakot, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Forensic and Digital Evidence Sealed Identity
Items of Pakistani origin, including ‘CandyLand’ and ‘ChocoMax’ chocolate wrappers manufactured in Karachi, were recovered. The lot numbers on the wrappers were traced to a consignment sent to Muzaffarabad, PoK, in May 2024.
Ballistics analysis of 7.62×39 mm casings matched the three AK-103 rifles recovered at the Dachigam site to the weapons used in the April Baisaran attack. Additionally, DNA tests of blood on a shirt found at the Pahalgam crime scene matched mitochondrial samples of the three slain men.
According to intelligence reports, the group infiltrated India through the Gurez sector in May 2022. Radio intercepts during their crossing confirmed their presence on Indian soil.
Terror Trail Before the Attack
On April 21, the terrorists took shelter in a seasonal hut near Hill Park, around 2 km from the Baisaran attack site. Two locals, Parvaiz and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, were detained after they admitted to providing food and shelter to the terrorists before the massacre.
A Garmin GPS device recovered from Suleman Shah had stored coordinates that matched eyewitness accounts of firing positions during the April 22 shooting. After executing the attack, the terrorists escaped into the dense Dachigam-Harwan forest belt, evading security agencies until their final encounter.
Satellites Helped Pinpoint Hideout
A Huawei satellite phone (IMEI 86761204-XXXXXX) used by the terrorists remained active and pinged Inmarsat-4 F1 satellite daily between April 22 and July 25. Signals triangulated its location to a 4 sq km area inside Harwan forest, leading to the precise location where the terrorists were hiding.
Initially, sketches of three suspects Hashim Musa, Ali Bhai alias Talha, and local youth Adil Hussain Thoker were issued by J&K Police on April 24. However, post-encounter verification revealed these images were unrelated, originating from an earlier December 2024 shootout.
Pakistan’s Role Further Exposed
Officials said that the command-and-control operations were handled by LeT’s south Kashmir chief Sajid Saifullah Jatt of Changa Manga, Lahore. Voice samples from intercepted satellite phone calls matched his profile, establishing him as the handler of the slain terrorists.
After their death, LeT’s Rawalakot chief Rizwan Anees visited the families and organised a Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer in absentia) on July 29. Indian agencies have added footage of this gathering to their growing dossier of evidence against Pakistan’s direct involvement.
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