How satellite phone tracker led security forces to Pahalgam mastermind’s hideout

The Army Special Forces on Monday launched Operation Mahadev after intercepting a satellite phone signal believed to be used by militants involved in the recent Pahalgam attack in South Kashmir.The unusual communication alert prompted a swift response from intelligence and counter-terror units.The signal led investigators to Asif, alias Sulaiman Shah, a terrorist considered the mastermind behind the attack.He had reportedly relocated from the Pir Panjal range to the Kashmir Valley in 2024 and has been operating under the radar since.During the encounter, Junaid Ahmed Bhat, a local Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative linked to the Ganderbal tunnel attack last December, was killed.However, Asif is believed to have escaped the site and remains at large.The use of satellite phones, rare and easily traceable in the region, played a critical role in uncovering the terrorist hideout and launching the operation.Security forces continue the hunt, with intelligence inputs suggesting Asif may attempt to flee the Valley or cross over to more remote areas.In a major counter-terrorism operation, Special Forces of the Army eliminated the three terrorists.While the security forces were tight-lipped about the identities of the slain militants, one of them had been identified as Asif, alias Sulaiman Shah, the alleged Pahalgam attack mastermind.