Operation Sindoor To Op Mahadev: How Forces Tracked Down Pahalgam Terrorists’ Key Aide
In a significant development, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested Mohammad Katari, accused of providing logistical support to the terrorists who carried out the deadly April 22 Pahalgam massacre. His arrest marks the first major success for security agencies since Operation Mahadev, which neutralized the gunmen involved in the deadly attack that killed 26 people in Baisaran Valley.
Around 3 months after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on July 28, 2025, the security forces avenged the Pahalgam attack, as they neutralized 3 terrorists during an encounter in Srinagar. Indian Army launched its Operation Mahadev acting on intelligence, which led to an intense firefight between the forces and terrorists in Harwan near Dachigam in Jammu and Kashmir.
Those killed included the Pahalgam terror attack mastermind, Suleiman Shah, alias Hashim Musa.
How did investigators link Katari to the terrorists?
The breakthrough came after a forensic analysis of weapons and equipment recovered during Op Mahadev. Security agencies sent the seized rifles and gear to a Chandigarh lab, where ballistic tests confirmed these weapons had been used in the Pahalgam killings. Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament that empty shells fired from the recovered rifles matched those found at the crime scene.
What was Operation Mahadev and how did it unfold?
Operation Mahadev was launched after Indian security forces received intelligence of terrorists hiding in Dachigam near Srinagar. Weeks of surveillance followed, during which encrypted communications on China-origin T82 devices were intercepted. On July 28, after drones confirmed visuals of the suspects, the Rashtriya Rifles and Special Forces commandos moved in.
By noon, all three terrorists had been killed, including Suleiman Shah alias Hashim Musa, a former Pakistani Army commando and alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam attack.
Who was Suleiman Shah, the mastermind behind the killings?
Suleiman Shah was once part of Pakistan Army’s elite Special Service Group (SSG) before joining Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Infiltrating India in 2023, he orchestrated multiple attacks, including one in Baramulla that killed four security personnel. His death during Operation Mahadev was a major blow to LeT’s operations in Kashmir.
Why is Katari’s arrest being called a major breakthrough?
Katari’s capture proves that Indian agencies are not only eliminating terrorists but also dismantling their support networks. His role in providing logistical aid, revealed through forensic evidence, underscores the government’s determination to bring every individual linked to the Pahalgam massacre to justice.
The April 22 massacre, where terrorists questioned victims about their religion before executing them, was India’s deadliest civilian terror attack in nearly two decades. The outrage pushed the government to adopt a more forceful counter-terror doctrine. India retaliated by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and launching Operation Sindoor on May 7.
What was the impact of Op Sindoor?
Over 100 hours of hostilities followed, during which India dismantled Pakistan’s air defence grid while intercepting incoming drone and missile attacks. With its terror infrastructure destroyed and facing mounting pressure, Pakistan sought a ceasefire. PM Narendra Modi declared afterward that India’s security posture had decisively shifted toward direct and uncompromising retaliation against terror attacks.
He stressed that it has drawn a new line in the defence strategy, noting that no one can escape after sending terrorists into India or planning attacks. He said that even if terrorists hide in the depths of the earth, India’s missiles will bury them there.
