In a significant breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists responsible for the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack used Android phones manufactured by Chinese companies Xiaomi and Vivo. The devices, recovered from three slain Pakistani terrorists, were purchased in Lahore and Karachi, directly implicating Pakistan in facilitating cross-border terrorism.

The details emerged from a 1,597-page chargesheet filed in a Jammu court, which names six accused, including the three killed terrorists—Faisal Jatt, Habeeb Tahir, and Hamza Afghani—and two local residents arrested for harboring the attackers. Xiaomi confirmed to the NIA that two of its handsets, a Redmi Note 9 and a Redmi Note 12, were sold in Pakistani cities, a crucial piece of evidence linking the operation to handlers across the border.

Investigators are also analyzing a third Vivo phone to establish its origin, with the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) assisting in the technological probe. The chargesheet accuses the banned LeT and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), of planning and executing the assault, which killed 26 people near the tourist hub of Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

The use of Chinese-origin communication devices, including Ultra satellite phone sets with direct connectivity to Chinese satellites, highlights how Pakistan-based terror networks leverage advanced technology to evade interception. These findings have intensified scrutiny on cross-border terror infrastructure, following India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror hubs deep inside Pakistan.