Pahalgam terror attack: The banned Chinese smartphone link that NIA is probing

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently took over the investigation of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, including 25 Indians and one Nepalese citizen. A significant lead has emerged, with security agencies detecting the movement of a banned Huawei satellite phone in the Pahalgam region at the time of the attack, sources told ET. Huawei, a Chinese company, is prohibited in India, raising suspicions that the device was smuggled from Pakistan or another foreign country.
Chinese telecom vendors Huawei and ZTE are barred from selling products for use in 5G networks in India. While there is no explicit ban, Indian telcom companies have effectively shut out China’s Huawei and ZTE from their 5G rollouts as do not fulfill the ‘trusted source’ requirement set by the Indian government. Due to security concerns with Chinese equipment, telcos in India too have been willing to absorb rising cost of using European gear.

Chinese Huawei banned in US and Europe

In July 2022, the chiefs of the US and the UK security agencies held an unprecedented press conference and issued a joint warning against China. The heads of FBI and MI5 alleged that China posed a long-term threat to economic and national security. China, on its part, called the accusations groundless. The US, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, who are members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance along with Canada, have also banned Huawei from their respective 5G networks.

Results of forensic experts and technical intelligence

The attack, one of the deadliest in Kashmir in recent times, occurred in the serene Baisaran valley, targeting innocent tourists. The NIA, supported by forensic experts and technical intelligence, is pursuing multiple angles, including tracking the satellite phone with assistance from Western agencies. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-backed terror outfit, has claimed responsibility for the ghastly attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region.
“More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJK). These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then being to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally,” the TRF said.

NIA statement on Pahalgam terror attack

Eyewitnesses have provided critical details, reporting more than five attackers involved in the assault. The NIA is examining these accounts to reconstruct the sequence of events, with teams led by an Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Superintendent of Police scouring entry and exit points for clues. Overground workers in Jammu and Kashmir are also under scrutiny.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police previously released sketches of three suspects, offering a Rs 20 lakh reward for information on each. The NIA, in a statement, confirmed its intensified efforts to uncover the terror conspiracy, with forensic teams combing the attack site for evidence.
“Following directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA has formally assumed control of the Pahalgam terror attack case,” the agency said, vowing to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.