A dormant satellite phone linked to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack became active once again, prompting security forces to launch a swift counter-terror operation deep inside the Dachigam forest near Srinagar. The activation of the device, a Huawei satellite phone believed to have been used by the assailants in the Pahalgam strike, set off alarms across the security grid, culminating in Monday’s deadly encounter in which three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed.
Sources in the intelligence establishment, according to reports, have confirmed that the suspicious call was made two days ago. The phone’s location was traced to the upper reaches of Dachigam, an area without human habitation, indicating that it could be linked to an active hideout.
The Army’s Chinar Corps confirmed the operation via its official handle, stating, “OP MAHADEV – Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress.”
The terrorists, according to top intelligence inputs, were foreign nationals believed to be part of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. One of the deceased has been identified as Hashim Musa, alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam attack.
The encounter took place in the Mulnar area of Harwan, where gunshots were first heard early on Monday morning during a routine search operation. Troops immediately cordoned off the area and rushed reinforcements to track down the terrorists holed up in the dense forest.
Also read: 3 suspected Pahalgam terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev
Two rounds of gunfire were reported as the search teams advanced, leading to a brief exchange that ended with the elimination of three militants.
Top officers said the identity of the slain militants was being confirmed through drone-captured photographs. “These photos will be shown to the arrested harbourers to identify the killed terrorist,” one official noted.
The operation follows crucial information extracted from two harbourers arrested earlier by the National Investigation Agency, Parvez and Bashir Ahmed, who disclosed that three Pakistani Lashkar operatives had been involved in the April 22 assault in Pahalgam.
The latest breakthrough not only marks a significant tactical gain but also exposes a long-standing Lashkar network operating in the region under the radar.
Agencies now suspect that the reactivation of the communication device might have been linked to an attempted regrouping or operational movement in the Dachigam region. The Army and paramilitary forces remain on high alert across nearby sectors.
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