Srinagar July 28: Operation Mahadev in Srinagar Forest, a high-intensity counter-terror strike successfully eliminated three Pakistani terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba, including the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, officials confirmed.
The operation was carried out in the forests of Srinagar’s Dachigam National Park on Monday.
The joint operation by the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police targeted a group of heavily armed terrorists hiding near the Mahadev Peak in the Harwan area.
Those killed included Suleiman Shah, a former Pakistani Army personnel, who is believed to have masterminded the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people.
Officials said the slain militants—Suleiman, Abu Hamza, and Jabran—were all Pakistani nationals affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Suleiman, also known by his alias Hashim Moosa, had a reward of Rs 20 lakh on his head announced by the J\&K Police following the Baisaran Valley attack in Pahalgam.
The operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs, prompting immediate deployment of additional reinforcements due to the difficult terrain and proximity to civilian areas.
A fierce gunfight ensued, resulting in the deaths of all three terrorists without any casualties among security forces.
Sources confirmed that Jabran, one of the three militants neutralized, was also believed to have taken part directly in the Pahalgam attack, which had shocked the entire nation and led to a series of high-level military and political responses.
Operation Mahadev is being hailed as a major success in India’s broader campaign to neutralize cross-border terror threats and bring justice to the victims of the Pahalgam massacre.
The successful strike coincided with the Lok Sabha’s debate on the Pahalgam attack and India’s military response under Operation Sindoor, aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Since the Pahalgam incident, the Indian armed forces have intensified anti-terror operations across Jammu and Kashmir, with a renewed focus not just on eliminating militants but also on uprooting the entire terror-support ecosystem, including Over Ground Workers and sympathizers.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the anti-terror strategy in the region has evolved to include targeting ideological, logistical, and digital enablers of terrorism.
Security agencies are now employing advanced surveillance technology and human intelligence to proactively thwart terror activities.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to give security forces full operational freedom, India carried out targeted strikes destroying nine terrorist bases inside Pakistan.
In retaliation, Pakistani forces attacked military and civilian infrastructure in Jammu’s Poonch district, damaging several homes and religious sites including a temple, a gurdwara, and a church.
The counter-response by Indian forces reportedly damaged 18 Pakistani military installations. (Edited)
