Mohammad Yusuf Katari, who was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police last month, met the terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack and gave him a ‘Android’ phone charger and he was caught on the basis of this important evidence. Yusuf Katari was arrested in the last week of September for providing significant logistics aid to Suleman alias Asif, Jibran and Hamza Afghani, who shot and killed 26 people in Pahalgam. According to officials, Katari (26) told the police during interrogation that he had met these three people four times in the Jabarwan hills outside the city of Srinagar. He was arrested after several weeks of investigation.
This success was achieved after intensive forensic analysis of the material obtained from the site of ‘Operation Mahadev’. ‘Operation Mahadev’ was an anti-terrorism campaign launched in July. During this campaign, three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam massacre were piled into the foothills of the Jabarwan range on the outskirts of Srinagar. Police took Katari under investigation after investigating the partially damaged charger of ‘Android’ mobile phones. It was one of the several items recovered during the charger operation.
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The Srinagar police finally discovered the real owner of the charger and confirmed the phone to sell the phone to a dealer. On the basis of this information, the police reached Katari. Officials said Katari allegedly taught nomadic students and was a major resource for the terrorist group. It is believed that he helped like providing charger to the attackers and guiding them in inaccessible areas. The main conspirator of the Pahalgam attack, Suleman alias Asif, as well as Jibran and Hamza Afghani, were killed in an encounter under Operation Mahadev on 29 July. Jibran was also associated with the Sonmarg tunnel attack in October 2024. Let us tell you that (NIA) has so far arrested two people in connection with the April 22 terrorist attack, who are accused of providing logistics aid and shelter to terrorists.
However, the incident of Katari being caught shows that no matter how mysterious terrorists are, they can be exposed with an accurate forensic and intelligence investigation. If seen, this success is important in many perspectives. First, it proves that an anti-terrorism campaign like Operation Mahadev is not only limited to killing terrorists, but can also effectively target their network and logistics support mechanisms. Suleman alias Asif, Jibran and Hamza Afghani give a message to the colleagues supporting the activities of terrorists that every form of terrorism, whether violent attack or logistics and guidance, cannot escape the eyes of security agencies.
Another important dimension of this success is that it gives a clear message to potential terrorists and their colleagues that India’s security agencies monitor your every step. No matter how hidden the network is, a small mistake can open the way for the misuse of the phone charger to be caught. Katari’s arrest shows that ground action and intelligence investigation can together become a decisive weapon against terrorism.
It is clear that the fight against terrorism can be won not only on the fronts, but also by combining small evidence, ground network and micro investigation. Joseph Katari’s arrest is an inspiring example that every form of terrorism can be defeated by restraint, technical efficiency and patience.