Forensic trail from phone charger leads to Pahalgam attack suspect
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By Irfan Yattoo
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05 Oct 2025
Srinagar, Oct 05: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested a 26-year-old man accused of providing logistical support to the terrorists involved in the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
The breakthrough came after investigators traced a damaged Android phone charger, recovered from the site of a July encounter, to Mohammad Yousuf Katari, a resident of the outskirts of Srinagar, officials said on Sunday.
Katari was arrested in the last week of September following a weeks-long investigation under Operation Mahadev, a counter-terror operation launched in the Zabarwan foothills near Srinagar. During the operation, three terrorists, Sulieman alias Asif, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani , who were directly involved in the Pahalgam massacre, were killed.
According to a senior police official, forensic teams examining materials recovered from the encounter site discovered a
partially destroyed mobile charger among other electronic items.
“Through detailed forensic and technical analysis, investigators traced the serial number of the charger to a local mobile phone dealer in Srinagar. The dealer identified Katari as the individual who had purchased the device, providing the first concrete lead in the case,” the official said.
Further investigation revealed that Katari had allegedly met the slain terrorists on at least four occasions in the Zabarwan hills. He is believed to have handed over the charger and helped them navigate the region’s rugged terrain.
“Katari, who worked as an informal teacher among nomadic communities, may have been familiar with routes used by the group to move undetected.”
Police suspect that Katari served as a logistical facilitator, providing minor supplies and local guidance. However, the full extent of his involvement remains under investigation.
“He had been on the radar for some time, but his role only became clear after forensic teams matched the evidence from the encounter site,” said an officer familiar with the investigation.
Authorities are examining whether Katari knowingly aided the terrorists or was misled. However, his repeated contact with the group and
technical evidence retrieved from his digital devices are being scrutinised closely.
The arrest marks a significant step in efforts to dismantle the local support network that enabled the Pahalgam attack, one of the deadliest in the region this year.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Katari may have unwittingly assisted the group, though his repeated contact with the slain terrorists and technical evidence collected from his digital devices are being closely examined.
The case is expected to be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is already probing the broader conspiracy behind the Pahalgam terror attack. The NIA has so far arrested two persons accused of providing shelter and logistical support to the attackers.
Officials said the continuing investigation, aided by forensic and digital intelligence, underscores the growing role of technology in tracing terror networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
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