Overview

• Srinagar Police detained Mohammad Yousuf Katari, 26, of Kulgam, described as an overground worker accused of providing logistical support to the cell tied to the April 22 Pahalgam killings.
• Investigators say analysis of weapons and equipment recovered in Operation Mahadev led to Katari, following official confirmations that ballistics matched those used in the massacre.
• Katari was questioned for two days before arrest and has been remanded to 14 days of police custody, according to multiple reports.
• The NIA, which previously arrested two alleged harbourers, is pursuing the broader case and is expected to examine Katari’s links, supply chains, and possible external facilitation.
• Officials attribute the attack to TRF, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot; three Pakistani militants identified as Suleiman Shah, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani were killed in July’s Dachigam operation, and probes include foreign funding trails reported to touch Malaysia.