Srinagar: Mohammad Yousuf Katari, an “Over Ground Worker (OGW)” arrested by the police, “had met the terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack four times and handed them an Android phone charger”, a key evidence which ultimately led to his capture, officials here said on Sunday.
Katari, 26, was arrested in the last week of September for allegedly providing crucial logistical support to Sulieman alias Asif, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani, the three terrorists who gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists, in the resort town of Pahalgam.
Katari is alleged to have told the police during the interrogation that he had met the three on four occasions in the Zabarwan hills outside Srinagar city, officials said.
His arrest came on the back of weeks of investigation.
The breakthrough came following an in-depth forensic analysis of material recovered from the site of Operation Mahadev, a counter-terror operation launched in July, which resulted in the killing of three terrorists “involved in the Pahalgam massacre”, in the foothills of the Zabarwan Range on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Police zeroed in on Katari after examining a partially destroyed Android mobile phone charger, one of the several items recovered during the operation.
The Srinagar police at length tracked down the original owner of the charger, who confirmed selling the phone to a dealer, a piece of information that, by and by, led police to Katari.
Officials said that Katari, who reportedly taught nomadic students in the higher reaches, had been a “key resource for the terror group”. His assistance is believed to have included providing the charger and guiding the attackers through the difficult terrain.
The terrorists Sulieman alias Asif (mastermind of the Pahalgam attack), Jibran (linked to the October 2024 Sonamarg Tunnel attack), and Hamza Afghani were killed on July 29 in an encounter under Operation Mahadev.
While officials declined to give further details, citing the ongoing investigation, the arrest is seen as a significant step in dismantling the terror support network functioning in the Kashmir valley.
They indicated that the case may ultimately be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is already probing the larger conspiracy of the Pahalgam attack.
The NIA has so far arrested two people in connection with the April 22 terror attack for allegedly providing logistical support and shelter to terrorists.
