Kulgam: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested a local aide linked to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in April this year. Officials revealed that the terrorists, killed in Operation Mahadev in July, had purchased mobile phone chargers from major e-commerce platforms to stay connected with their handlers and overground workers (OGWs) while hiding in the Dachigam forests.

According to police sources, three chargers were recovered during the July operation in Lidwas, Dachigam. One of the chargers was traced to a Vivo T2X 5G (Aurora Gold) handset.

Following verification with Vivo and Flipkart, investigators linked the purchase to Musaib Ahmad Chopan of Iqbal Computers, who admitted selling the device to Muhammad Yousuf Katari.

Records from J&K Bank confirmed that Katari paid ₹14,500 through mPay on May 24. During interrogation, Katari confessed to assisting the slain terrorists — identified as Afghan Bhai, Suleman Shah, and Jibran — by arranging logistics while they were in hiding. The trio had been named earlier by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as key suspects in the killings in Baisaran meadow.

On Wednesday, September 24, police formally arrested Katari, a 26-year-old resident of Kulgam, in Srinagar. Authorities said he acted as an OGW for the attackers and may have conducted reconnaissance before the killings.

His arrest comes as part of a larger crackdown on the support network that aided the group. Police have obtained a 15-day custody remand to question him about other possible OGWs and to identify escape routes used by the terrorists.

This development follows the NIA’s arrest of two other locals in June — Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park and Parvaiz Ahmad of Batkote — both accused of helping the same terror module.

Investigators believe Katari’s interrogation will help uncover the wider network involved in the Pahalgam attack and prevent future plots.