Satellite phone slip-up may have tracked Pahalgam terror module
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Pahalgam attacker's funeral in POK confirms Pak hand in strike
Site in Pahalgam where militants opened fire on tourists. (File photo) NEW DELHI: The 'Janaza-Ghaib (funeral in absentia)' of Tahir Habib, one of the Pahalgam terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev in J&K, has been performed in his village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir - a second confirmation that Pakistan was involved in the April 22 incident in which 26 civilians were killed. Videos and pictures posted on Telegram channels show the elderly of Khai Gala in Rawalkote gathering for the final prayers for the former Pakistan Army soldier and Lashkar-e-Taiba operative. But the funeral took an unexpected turn when local LeT commander Rizwan Hanif tried to be part of it. Tahir's family explicitly barred LeT members from attending the funeral but Hanif insisted, leading to a confrontation. Tahir's association with LeT and his role in the Pahalgam attack had made him a wanted category 'A' terrorist. His killing during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar last week along with two others was a major breakthrough for Indian security forces. During the funeral, a source said, "Lashkar operatives threatened mourners with a gun, sparking outrage among villagers. The residents of Khai Gala, who have long been wary of radicalisation, are now planning a public boycott to oppose terror recruitment." This development is significant as it not only highlights the growing resistance among POK residents against Pakistan's state-sponsored terror machine but also confirms that the impact of Operation Sindoor - conducted as a response to the Pahalgam attack - is being felt across the border. "A Lashkar commander facing public backlash and being forced to flee is a testament to the changing dynamics in the region," the source added. Tahir's past includes his association with the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and the Student Liberation Front (SLF) before joining the Pakistan army. The Sadozai Pathan community, to which Tahir belonged, has a rich history of resistance, having migrated from Afghanistan in the 18th century and playing a key role in the Poonch Rebellion. This also led to Tahir getting the alias of 'Afghani' with which he was known in intelligence records.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Photos recovered from an encounter site in 2024 helped identify Pahalgam terrorists
The three Pahalgam terrorists who were killed during Operation Mahadev on July 28 were identified and tracked with the help of photographs recovered from a mobile phone seized by the security forces after an encounter in south Kashmir in 2024, a senior government official said. The phone contained several pictures of the three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists identified as Suleman, alias Faizal Jatt, Hamza Afghani, and Zibran posing with guns and ammunition. Hid in Dachigam forest The photographs were then matched with the accounts of eyewitnesses present at the Baisaran meadow on April 22 and a search was launched for them in the Dachigam forest, around 20 km from Srinagar, where they were hiding after the terror attack. The terrorists were using a LoRa (long range) wireless module to communicate, and its signals helped the intelligence agencies track their device was likely assembled, and has been sent for forensic examination, the official said. Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha on July 29 that indigenous technology was used to track the three terrorists in the Dachigam forest. The Minister said that on May 22, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) received information about the presence of terrorists in the Dachigam area through human intelligence. He said 'continuous efforts were made by the IB and the Army from May 22 to July 22 to confirm the information with an equipment made by our agencies to capture ultra signals in Dachigam'. 'While all three are Pakistanis, Hamza Afghani belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in north-west Pakistan,' the official said. The official said the terrorists were sighted multiple times in the forest but they always managed to get away. Security forces combed the forests and monitored areas close to streams and rivers as the terrorists came there to fetch water. As reported by The Hindu, a group of 20-25 hardened terrorists from Pakistan infiltrated around three years ago and are said to be operating in the forest and mountains across Pir Panjal in Jammu and the forests in south Kashmir. In 2024, the foreign terrorists split into two groups, one led by Suleman who was killed during Operation Mahadev on July 28 and the other group led by another Pakistani identified as Musa. Since 2021, around 150 security personnel have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, likely carried out by the same group. 'After Operation Mahadev, we have received crucial information about the other foreign terrorists and we have launched operations to track them down,' said the official.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
2 terrorists killed in overnight encounter in J&K's Kulgam
Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday, officials said. A CRPF vehicle moving past people standing on a roadside during an encounter between terrorists and security forces in the Akhal area of Kulgam district on Saturday. (PTI Photo) The overnight encounter began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in a forest area at Akhal in the south Kashmir district, following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists there. After an initial exchange of fire between the two sides on Friday evening, the operation was halted for the night, the officials said. The cordon was strengthened, and additional reinforcements were rushed to the area. Firing resumed on Saturday morning, during which two terrorists were killed, the officials said. The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are being ascertained, they added, noting that the operation is still underway. Operation Akhal is the third major encounter in the last seven days. Earlier on Wednesday, two terrorists were eliminated during Operation Shivshakti, in a gunfight with security forces near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, following an infiltration attempt. The encounter began on Tuesday night in the Kalsian-Gulpur area after Indian forces intercepted a group of terrorists attempting to infiltrate the border. On July 28, three Pakistani terrorists were killed during an encounter in J&K's forested Lidwas area near Harwan, located on the outskirts of Srinagar. The operation named 'Operation Mahadev' eliminated the terrorists who were behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. One of the terrorists was identified as Suleiman, the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack, while the others were identified as Afghan and Jibran. All three were senior operatives of the Pakistan-based banned group Lashkar-e-Toiba. (With PTI inputs)
