India Traces Pahalgam Attackers’ Path, Identifies Lahore-Based LeT Handler
The attackers’ infiltration path was traced through intercepted radio transmissions going back to May 2022, when they crossed the LoC near Gurez.
In a significant development, Indian intelligence and security establishments have tracked the infiltration route, movement, and command chain behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, revealing a direct operational link to a Lahore-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative. As per a detailed report compiled by Indian agencies after the July 28 counter-terror operation ‘Operation Mahadev’, Sajid Saifullah Jatt has been clearly identified as the chief handler of the attackers.
Sajid Saifullah Jatt, who is LeT’s south Kashmir operations head, was pinpointed as the main handler operating out of Lahore. In addition, Rizwan Anees from Rawalkot had coordinated funeral prayers in PoK for the terrorists who were eliminated.
The three terrorists — Suleman Shah (also known as Faizal Jatt), Abu Hamza (alias “Afghan”), and Yasir (alias “Jibran”) — were all senior LeT commanders. None of them were local Kashmiris, as initially assumed from preliminary sketches released following the attack. These sketches were later refuted and linked to an unrelated case from December 2024.
Material recovered paints a comprehensive picture. Two of the terrorists carried Pakistani voter ID cards, with serial numbers matching electoral records in Lahore and Gujranwala. A micro-SD card found in a damaged satellite phone held biometric data from NADRA, confirming their Pakistani nationality and addresses located in Kasur district and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Personal belongings such as chocolates manufactured in Pakistan further verified their origin, with batch numbers traceable to consignments sent to Muzaffarabad in 2024.
Their route of infiltration was determined through intercepted radio conversations dating back to May 2022, when they crossed the LoC at Gurez. They were later provided shelter in a temporary hut near Pahalgam by two Kashmiri residents — Parvaiz and Bashir Ahmad Jothar — both of whom later admitted to assisting them. GPS data from a Garmin device belonging to one attacker and call logs from a Huawei satellite phone helped establish their movements and connection to handlers in Pakistan.
Forensic testing also verified that the shell casings found at the attack location matched with three AK-103 rifles recovered after the attackers were neutralised on July 28 in the Dachigam-Harwan forest zone.
Labelled as the most definitive evidence dossier so far, this compilation was presented in Parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 29, who said, “For the first time, we have official Pakistani documents in possession that confirm beyond doubt the nationality of the Pahalgam attackers.”
Defence Ministry Responds
As revelations concerning the Pahalgam attackers attracted wide media coverage on Monday, the Ministry of Defence issued a late-night clarification stating that “no authorised communication platform of the Indian Armed Forces has prepared or issued any such document”.
The ministry criticised social media accounts for falsely attributing the document to the military, stating, “None of these remarks have been made by Defence Public Relations Offices or designated spokespersons.”
However, the statement did not categorically deny the substance of the disclosures, noting instead that the materials appeared to be “a compilation of details from post-encounter findings, collected from open sources.”
Following the neutralisation of the Pahalgam attackers near Srinagar last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “Our security forces carried out Operation Mahadev, during which three terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam incident were eliminated.”
