Operation Mahadev: Recovered mobile phones, long-range communicationsets hold key to Pahalgam terrorists' Pakistan link

Indian Express

6 days ago

At least three mobile phones and two LoRa (long range) communication sets recovered from Pahalgam attackers killed in Operation Mahadev are learnt to have thrown up considerable data, including photos of two Pakistani NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) cards, sources in the security establishment told The Indian Express.
The phones are currently being examined by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) for retrieval of data. It is also examining the LoRa communication sets for any stamps of Pakistan.
Among other things recovered by the security forces after Operation Mahadev are a GoPro harness, a 28-watt solar charger, three mobile chargers, one Swiss Military power bank, needle and threads, medicines, a stove, dry ration and a lot of tea. This is in addition to the arms and ammunition recovered from their bodies apart from two Aadhaar cards in the name of two local residents of Ganderbal and Srinagar.
Sources said it is normal for Pakistan terrorists infiltrating India to procure Aadhaar cards as it helps them move around without being detected at police checkposts. The Aadhaar cards are typically procured through over ground workers or may belong to them.
It is through the mobile phones and LoRa sets, however, that the security agencies aim to pin Pakistan down. Sources said the phones have a few documents and photos apart from details of local contacts, which are likely to lead to further arrests and unravelling of the logistical support the terrorists may have got over the past couple of years in the Valley.
The recovery from the phones include NADRA card details of the terrorists. NADRA cards are computerised national identity cards issued by the National Database and Registration Authority, a Pakistan government agency. It's the primary identity document for Pakistani citizens, both within the country and overseas.
The LoRa sets are expected to throw up data that may help the security agencies trace the movement of the terrorists over the past few months apart from the location where the devices were manufactured or assembled.
LoRa sets refer to long-range radio communication technology. These devices are increasingly being used by terrorists and cross-border infiltrators, especially in border areas, as they can facilitate secure communication over long distances without relying on cellular networks or the Internet. Unlike satellite phones, which are vulnerable to interception, LoRa sets do not need to connect to a satellite.
Indian intelligence and security agencies have in recent years intercepted or recovered LoRa sets from terrorists and infiltrators in J&K. These devices have been linked to Pakistan-based handlers coordinating movements or attacks. They are sometimes used in custom-built encrypted radios or even embedded in seemingly innocuous hardware. The terrorists who killed over 50 Army personnel in Poonch-Rajouri sector over the past couple of years have also been found to be using LoRa sets.
While their messages cannot be intercepted, there is technology to determine their approximate location when they are switched on. However, the approximation can be in the range of a radius of 3-5 km, making it hard to detect the exact location in a thickly forested area, said sources.