By Ravinder Singh Robin
New Delhi, August 4, 2025
In a major breakthrough, Indian security agencies have conclusively identified the perpetrators of the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 civilian lives, primarily Hindu tourists in Baisaran meadow.
The identities and backgrounds of the three assailants killed in an encounter on July 28, 2025 have been established through a detailed forensic, technical, and documentary investigation.
According to a classified report released by Indian agencies, all three attackers were high-ranking Pakistani nationals affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Forensic, documentary, and testimonial evidence collected during and after Operation Mahadev confirm the trioโs involvement and Pakistani citizenship. No Kashmiri locals were found to have participated in the actual attack team.
The attackers were identified as Suleman Shah (operational alias โFaizal Jattโ), Abu Hamza (โAfghanโ), and Yasir (โJibranโ). Shah, classified as an A++ LeT commander, played the role of mastermind and lead shooter. Hamza and Yasir, both A-grade commanders, acted as the second and third gunmen, respectively, with Yasir also handling rear security.
Pakistani state issued documents were recovered from the bodies of the assailants, including two laminated voter ID slips from the Election Commission of Pakistan and NADRA linked smart ID chips. The voter serial numbers correspond to electoral rolls in Lahore and Gujranwala, while biometric data from a recovered micro SD card confirmed their Pakistani addresses in Changa Manga (Kasur district) and Koiyan village near Rawalakot, PoK. Additionally, candy wrappers from Karachi and other personal items were traced back to consignments shipped to Muzaffarabad in May 2024.
The investigation details a timeline tracing the attackersโ infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC) near Gurez sector as early as May 2022. The trio reportedly sought shelter from local Kashmiris near Baisaran ahead of the massacre, a fact corroborated by eyewitness and GPS evidence.
Forensic tests have left little room for doubt: ballistics matched rifles recovered in the July 28 encounter to the crime scene, with a 100% match on striation marks. DNA analysis implicated the same individuals, and satellite phone logs triangulated their movements across south Kashmir up to their final encounter.
The operationโs findings have drawn pointed remarks from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said, โFor the first time we have government-issued Pakistani documents in hand that nail the nationality of the Pahalgam attackers beyond doubt.โ
This conclusive evidentiary chain, based on documentary, ballistic, digital, and testimonial records, marks a decisive stride for Indian agencies in holding perpetrators and their cross-border handlers accountable for the Pahalgam tragedy.