Arrest of Mohammad Yousuf Katari Unravels Pahalgam Terror Attack Web

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of a 26-year-old man linked to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including a Nepali tourist on April 22.

According to senior officials, the accused, identified as Mohammad Yousuf Katari, was apprehended following a crucial intelligence tip from South Kashmir’s district.

Who is Mohammad Yousuf Katari?

Authorities revealed that Katari worked as a teacher but secretly functioned as an over Ground Worker (OGW) in Kulgam. He allegedly maintained connections with the Pakistan-based terror outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Investigators believe Katari provided logistical and covert assistance to the attackers involved in the Pahalgam strike.

He was brought under the scanner after a forensic analysis of weapons and equipment seized from LeT operatives eliminated during Operation Mahadav. This long-drawn military campaign began on May 22, after inputs confirmed the presence of terrorists in Dachigam near Srinagar.

During the operation, three militants, including the mastermind behind the Pahalgam carnage, were neutralized. Among the cache recovered were AK-47 rifles and M9 assault weapons. These arms, sent to Chandigarh for examination, were scientifically matched to the attack in Pahalgam.

The Pahalgam Massacre and Operation Sindoor

On April 22, tragedy struck at Baisaran, a scenic meadow in Pahalgam popularly called mini Switzerland. Gunmen opened fire, killing 25 tourists, 24 Indians and one Nepali, as well as a local civilian. Among the victims were an Indian Navy officer and an Intelligence Bureau official, highlighting the brutal indiscrimination of the assault.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow entity of Lashkar-e-Taiba, later claimed responsibility. The strike marked the most devastating attack in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, reigniting tensions across the Valley.

In retaliation, on the night between May 6 and 7, the Indian Air Force launched a series of precision aerial offensives, targeting nine terror infrastructures across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The counter-offensive, codenamed Operation Sindoor, aimed to dismantle the adversary’s bases and paralyze their operational capacity.

The escalation continued with retaliatory actions from Pakistan, leading to an exchange of strikes and counter-strikes that lasted for three nights. Finally, on May 10, both nations reached a mutual accord to cease all hostilities across land, air, and sea effective from 5pm, bridging an uneasy truce after days of conflagration.