Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in the Lok Sabha that all three terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 have been killed in a joint security operation named Operation Mahadev. The operation was conducted by the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jammu and Kashmir Police near Srinagar.
The terrorists were identified as Suleiman alias Faizal, Afghan, and Jibran. Suleiman was the mastermind of the attack and an A-category commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group. Afghan and Jibran were also top terrorists with A-grade designations. Amit Shah stated that these terrorists were responsible for the killing of 26 civilians in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam.
Their identities were confirmed through multiple means including forensic tests on bullet shells recovered from the attack site, cross-matching weapons seized from the eliminated terrorists with those used in the Pahalgam attack, and identification by detained associates who had supplied them food and shelter. Additionally, Pakistani voter identity cards and other items like Pakistan-made chocolates found with the terrorists confirmed their origin.
Operation Mahadev started immediately after the Pahalgam attack with efforts focused on preventing the perpetrators from escaping to Pakistan. Intelligence inputs gathered over two months, along with persistent patrolling by security forces at high altitudes, led to the successful detection and elimination of the terrorists on July 28 near the forested Lidwas area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Amit Shah praised the coordination and dedication of the Indian security forces in carrying out the operation and bringing to justice those who had brutally murdered innocent civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
