PAHALGAM, May 24, 2026 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is intensifying investigations into an international supply chain after a US-manufactured GoPro camera recovered from slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists was traced back to an authorised distributor in China, senior officials said on Sunday.
The sophisticated camera device was recovered from terrorists neutralised during an encounter in the Dachigam forests last July following the deadly terror attack in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam.
Investigators believe the recovery has opened a crucial line of inquiry into the international logistics and procurement networks allegedly supporting terror outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said terror groups in Kashmir have increasingly been using action cameras to record ambushes and attacks for propaganda dissemination and psychological warfare.
According to investigators, tracing the exact procurement route of the device could expose vulnerabilities, intermediaries or possible complicity in underground channels used for supplying tactical gear, funds and hardware to anti-India terror organisations.
In an effort to identify the device’s origin, the NIA formally contacted GoPro Inc., the US-based manufacturer of the camera.
Officials said the company informed investigators that the specific device had originally been shipped to an authorised commercial distributor in China.
The probe has now shifted focus toward determining how the camera allegedly moved from the Chinese distribution chain into the possession of Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives.
Officials involved in the investigation indicated that one line of inquiry is examining whether such devices may have been procured through channels linked to the Pakistani military before being supplied to terror groups operating in Kashmir.
India currently does not have a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with China, and investigators are expected to pursue the matter through diplomatic mechanisms.
“The chargesheet establishes the immediate operational details of the Baisaran attack, but the wider investigation remains wide open,” an official said.
“We are actively investigating the procurement channels to ascertain how a commercial device tracking back to China was diverted to a banned terrorist organisation operating in Jammu and Kashmir,” the official added.
The investigation is linked to the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Baisaran meadows near Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by terrorists.
The massacre had prompted the Indian government to launch Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure located in Pakistan-controlled territories, including camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Officials said the three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack were later killed during a special forces operation in the Dachigam forests on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Investigators also found that at least two AK-47 rifles recovered from the Baisaran attack site, along with another weapon recovered in Dachigam, were of Chinese origin.
According to the investigation, the terrorists are believed to have escaped from Baisaran through forest routes before possibly fleeing in a vehicle. Officials said there was a gap of nearly 40 minutes before security forces could fully assess the scale of the attack.
A vehicle bearing a Shopian registration number was reportedly seen leaving the area, though investigators faced difficulty tracing its movement because several CCTV cameras along the route were reportedly non-functional.
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against Lashkar-e-Taiba and six individuals, including the three slain terrorists identified as:
- Faisal Jatt alias Suleman
- Habeeb Tahir alias Chottu
- Hamza Afghani
The agency has also chargesheeted self-styled LeT commander Sajid Jatt alias Sajid Jutt.
Two local residents — Bashir Ahmad Jothatd and Parvaiz Ahmad — were also named in the chargesheet for allegedly providing food and shelter to the terrorists a day before the attack.
Investigators said the accused allegedly supplied food items, spices, cooking utensils, blankets and tarpaulin sheets to the terrorists.
One blanket later recovered from the Dachigam encounter site was allegedly matched through DNA analysis with material taken from Bashir’s residence, officials said.
