'Made in Pakistan' chocolates, voter IDs, rifles & more: Clues that helped India expose Pahalgam attackers' Pakistani identity

Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that all three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack were Pakistani nationals. And it wasn’t just one clue that confirmed this, it ranged from voter ID numbers to chocolates.

As per Shah, a major part of the breakthrough came when security forces seized weapons and personal items from the three slain terrorists during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar. Forensic tests matched the rifles and cartridges used in the Pahalgam attack with those recovered after the operation.

But that wasn’t all. Shah revealed that the terrorists were also carrying chocolates, manufactured in Pakistan, which added to the growing evidence of their identity.

Shah said that the authorities even had the terrorists’ Pakistani voter ID numbers. The three, identified as Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran, were recognised by individuals who had been detained earlier for giving them food and shelter.

Once their bodies were brought to Srinagar, the detainees confirmed the identities, leaving no room for doubt.

All three were top-ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. Suleiman and Afghan were listed as A-category commanders, while Jibran too held an A-grade status in the group.

“Security forces went to great lengths to confirm that the three terrorists were the same ones responsible for the Pahalgam attack,” Shah told Parliament.

He added that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had already arrested those who had helped them and confirmed the chain of events with forensic evidence.