Pahalgam Terror Attack Probe: NIA Traces Terrorists’ Mobile Phone Consignment to Karachi-Based Faysal Bank
Investigations into the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack have linked a smartphone used by the perpetrators to a 2021 consignment financed by Pakistan’s Faysal Bank. The terrorists, killed in a July 2025 encounter, used two inactive Xiaomi devices for reconnaissance and tactical planning, relying on secure radio technology to coordinate the attack that claimed 26 lives.
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Investigations into the devastating Pahalgam terror attack have uncovered a significant link between the technology used by the perpetrators and a Karachi-based financial institution. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu and Kashmir Police have traced one of the two mobile phones recovered from the slain terrorists to a consignment imported into Pakistan in 2021, which was financed by Faysal Bank.
Tracing the Origins of Terrorist Communication Gear
The two Xiaomi devices, a Redmi 9T and a Redmi Note 12. were recovered from three terrorists identified as Faisal Jatt, Habeeb Tahir, and Hamza Afghani following a security operation in the Dachigam Forest on 28 July 2025. According to investigative sources, the Redmi 9T was delivered to Pakistan on 1 January 2021, as part of a consignment imported by Tech Sirat Pvt Ltd, with Faysal Bank listed as the logistics entity in delivery documentation. Delhi on High Alert As Police Bust Dawood Ibrahim-ISI Linked Terror Module, 9 Arrested.
While there is no evidence of direct involvement by the bank in the 22 April 2025 attack, the institution has historically been mentioned in international reports regarding the accounts of proscribed terror organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Investigators believe the device, which remained inactive from 2021 until the period immediately preceding the attack, was specifically procured for the terrorists’ operational use.
Operational Details and Tactical Planning
The investigation revealed that both phones were utilised primarily for tactical reconnaissance rather than standard cellular communication. Terrorists relied on long-range radio technology for coordination, successfully bypassing traditional network surveillance. Despite the lack of communication data, forensic experts successfully retrieved maps and photographic evidence, including images of the terrorists' campsite established near Baisaran Meadows on 30 March 2025, weeks before the incident that resulted in 26 fatalities. Operation Sindoor 1st Anniversary: 6 Pillars of the Anti-Terror Strike in Pakistan.
The second device, a Redmi Note 12, was linked to a separate import by Air Link Communications Ltd based in Lahore. Like the first device, this phone remained dormant until the lead-up to the attack. Authorities continue to analyse the recovered digital evidence to determine the full extent of the support network that facilitated the infiltration and subsequent operation by the armed group.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2026 10:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
