3 Pakistani Terrorists Killed in Operation Mahadev, Suspected Link to Pahalgam Attack

Three Pakistani terrorists suspected to be involved in the brutal April 22 Pahalgam attack were killed in an encounter in Srinagar’s Dachigam area by a joint team of the Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police during Operation Mahadev. The operation followed intelligence inputs and intercepted communications, which pointed to the presence of foreign terrorists in the region. The name "Mahadev" was attributed to the operation due to its location between the Zabarwan and Mahadev ridges near Mount Mahadev.

Security forces received actionable intelligence in early July, when they intercepted suspicious communication in the dense Dachigam jungle. This indicated a possible presence of a joint group of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. Over the next two weeks, this group was tracked closely with corroboration from local nomads who provided additional intelligence. Based on this, several Army teams were deployed in the area.

On July 28, at around 11:30 a.m., a team consisting of 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 PARA commandos located the terrorists. Using the element of surprise and superior tactical positioning, they engaged and neutralized all three. Following the encounter, security forces recovered 17 grenades, one M4 carbine, and two AK-47 rifles from the terrorists’ hideout.

Sources suggest a high probability that the militants neutralized in this operation were directly involved in the Pahalgam attack, which occurred in the Baisaran Valley—a popular tourist spot in South Kashmir often referred to as “mini Switzerland.” The April 22 attack, considered one of the most gruesome in recent years, was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

According to eyewitnesses and investigators, the attackers selectively targeted non-Muslim male tourists who were picnicking in the valley. This deliberate targeting drew widespread condemnation and raised alarm over the rising threat of foreign terrorism in Kashmir.

The case is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which last month arrested two local individuals — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad — for allegedly providing shelter to the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack.

The timing of the Operation Mahadev success is also significant, as it comes on the day when the Indian Parliament is set to discuss the Pahalgam massacre and the government’s retaliatory operation named Operation Sindoor. The incident has been politically sensitive, with the opposition repeatedly criticizing the government for failing to swiftly capture or neutralize those responsible for the Baisaran Valley attack.

Additionally, intelligence officials suspect that one of the attackers involved in the April massacre may have been Suleiman Shah, believed to be responsible for the killing of seven workers at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site along the Srinagar–Sonmarg highway in the previous year.

At present, identification of the slain terrorists is ongoing. Establishing their identities will help confirm whether they were directly involved in the Pahalgam attack or affiliated with other terror plots in the region. Regardless, Operation Mahadev marks a significant milestone in counterterror efforts in the Kashmir Valley and highlights the persistent threat posed by foreign-backed militant networks.