Operation Mahadev: Long distance communication equipment recovered from Pahalgam attackers, which is key to relations with Pakistan

Pahalgam: According to security establishment sources who spoke to The media, at least three cell phones and two LoRa (long range) communication sets found among the Pahalgam attackers killed in Operation Mahadev are known to have produced a significant amount of data, including images of two Pakistani NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) cards.

The National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) is now examining the phones in order to get data. Additionally, it is looking for any Pakistani stamps in the LoRa communication sets.

A GoPro harness, a 28-watt solar charger, three mobile chargers, a Swiss military power bank, needles and threads, medications, a stove, dry food, and a large amount of tea are among the items that the security forces found after Operation Mahadev. In addition to the firearms and ammunition found on their corpses, two Aadhaar cards belonging to two local residents of Ganderbal and Srinagar were also found.

According to sources, obtaining Aadhaar cards is common among Pakistani terrorists invading India, as it enables them to move about undetected at police checkpoints. Usually, overground personnel get the Aadhaar cards, or they may be theirs.

However, the security authorities want to enclose Pakistan using mobile phones and LoRa sets. According to sources, in addition to information on local contacts, the phones include a few papers and pictures that might result in more arrests and the dismantling of any logistical assistance the terrorists may have received in the Valley during the last two years.

The terrorists’ NADRA card information was recovered from the phones. The National Database and Registration Authority, a government organization in Pakistan, issues computerized national identification cards known as NADRA cards. It serves as Pakistani nationals’ main form of identification both domestically and abroad.

Apart from the place where the devices were made or put together, the LoRa sets are anticipated to provide information that might assist the security services in tracking the terrorists’ movements during the last several months.

Long-range radio communication technology is referred to as LoRa sets. Because these devices allow for secure communication over long distances without depending on cellular networks or the Internet, terrorists and cross-border infiltrators are increasingly using them, particularly in border regions. LoRa sets don’t need a satellite connection, unlike satellite phones that may be intercepted.

In recent years, LoRa sets from terrorists and infiltrators in J&K have been intercepted or seized by Indian intelligence and security services. These gadgets have been connected to handlers situated in Pakistan who plan attacks or moves. They may sometimes be found embedded in apparently harmless hardware or in specially designed encrypted radios. LoRa sets were also used by the terrorists who murdered more than fifty Army troops in the Poonch-Rajouri region in the previous two years.

When they are turned on, technology may identify their approximate position even if their communications cannot be intercepted. According to the sources, it may be challenging to pinpoint the precise position in a densely wooded region since the estimate can be anywhere between three and five kilometers.