• Source:JND
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Pahalgam Attack: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday arrested a Kashmir-based man for allegedly providing logistical support to the terrorist in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, NDTV sources reported.

The man identified as Mohammad Kataria was arrested following a forensic analysis of weapons and equipment recovered during Operation Mahadev in July, when security forces killed the three gunmen who had shot dead 26 people in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam. A faction of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the terror attack.

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Kataria will be produced in court and placed in judicial custody, sources told NDTV. This marks a major breakthrough for security forces since Operation Mahadev.

Details About Operation Mahadev

- Operation Mahadev began after security forces on May 22 received intel about terrorists hiding in Dachigam, near Srinagar.

- Over the weeks, the security forces monitored the area and intercepted encrypted communications sent through China-made devices.

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- The terrorist activated a T82 communication device, which enabled Indian security forces to pinpoint their location using signal intelligence.

- At 8 AM, a drone was launched to get the visual confirmation of their presence.

- At 9:30 AM, Rashtriya Rifles and Special Forces commandos were on the ground and within 30 minutes, a secondary visual confirmation of the targets was obtained.

- At 11:00 AM, security forces opened fire. At 11:45 PM, one terrorist, who was injured and tried to escape, was gunned down.

- The final assault was launched on July 28, ending with the killing of three gunmen who shot dead 26 people in the April 22 terror attack.

- Among the dead was Suleiman Shah, also known as Hashim Musa, the alleged mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

The weapons recovered during Operation Mahadev were sent to the forensic lab in Chandigarh, where the tests confirmed that they had been used in the Pahalgam attack. Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament, “We generated empty bullet shells by firing these rifles and matched them to those found in Pahalgam. It was confirmed that these rifles were used to murder innocent civilians.”