'Operation Mahadev' exposes Pakistan link: Phones, LoRa devices reveal trail of terror in Pahalgam

In a significant breakthrough following Operation Mahadev in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, investigators have recovered mobile phones and encrypted long-range communication devices that point to direct links with Pakistan-based terror networks, according to top security officials.

Three mobile phones and two LoRa (Long Range) communication sets, seized from the bodies of the slain terrorists, are now being examined by the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO). Among the most telling discoveries, sources said, are images of two Pakistani NADRA identity cards, documents, contact lists, and communication logs, potentially exposing the web of logistical support provided to the infiltrators within Kashmir.

Security agencies believe this digital evidence could pave the way for further arrests and unravel a deeper network of overground collaborators operating in the Valley.

“This is the most promising digital trail we’ve seen in months. The LoRa devices especially could offer crucial data on movement patterns and handlers across the border,” a senior security official was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

LoRa, short for Long Range Radio, is increasingly used by terror groups for its ability to transmit messages across vast distances without relying on cellular networks or satellites.

Unlike satellite phones — often vulnerable to surveillance — LoRa sets operate independently and discreetly, making them hard to detect but extremely effective in rugged terrains like Kashmir. These very tools, officials believe, have enabled sustained terror strikes, including those that have claimed over 50 soldiers in Poonch-Rajouri over the last two years.

Though LoRa messages cannot be intercepted, intelligence units can track their signal origin within a 3-5 km radius, which becomes particularly challenging in densely forested regions.

Among the other items recovered from the militants were:

• A GoPro harness,
• A 28-watt solar charger,
• Swiss Military power bank,
• Mobile chargers, stove, dry rations, medicine, needle and thread—suggesting they were equipped for long-term hideouts and surveillance missions.

Notably, two Aadhaar cards — issued in the names of residents from Ganderbal and Srinagar — were also found. According to sources, it’s a common practice for infiltrators from Pakistan to use Aadhaar cards, procured via local overground workers, to evade police scrutiny at checkpoints and blend into civilian areas.

But it's the data from phones and LoRa sets that officials are banking on to expose Pakistan’s continuing role in sponsoring cross-border terror. Apart from photographs and scanned IDs, the devices are expected to contain metadata, call logs, geotags, and app-based communication trails, all of which could tie the attackers to handlers in Pakistan’s terror infrastructure.

With digital forensics underway, security agencies are confident this operation will lead to the dismantling of sleeper cells and smuggling routes that have allowed weapons and terrorists to infiltrate deep into the Valley under the radar.

Operation Mahadev, they say, may have not just neutralized infiltrators, but also exposed the communication backbone of a long-running proxy war — one that continues to adapt and evolve, even as Indian forces close in.