Operation Mahadev: 3 Pahalgam Terrorists Eliminated

Operation Mahadev: Indian security forces carried out a major counter-terrorism operation in Pahalgam and eliminated three terrorists linked to the April 22, 2025 attack that killed 26 innocent civilians. The Indian Army led the mission with support from the CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Troops from 4 Para played a key role as they surrounded and neutralised the militants during the operation.

Amit Shah announced the success of the mission in Parliament. He confirmed that the joint operation took place on July 28 and targeted those responsible for the earlier attack. Security agencies had tracked the movement of the terrorists for weeks before launching the final strike.

The forces conducted the encounter in the dense Lidwas forest area near Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar. They planned the operation carefully to prevent the militants from escaping towards the border. Acting on intelligence inputs, the forces cordoned off the area and engaged the terrorists in a gunfight, which ended with all three being eliminated.

Officials identified the killed terrorists as Suleman, Hamza Afghani, and Zibran. All three belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and held ‘A’ category status, which indicates a high level of threat. Suleman served as a top commander and played a key role in planning the Pahalgam attack as well as another attack in Gagangir. Authorities considered him the mastermind behind the killings.

Hamza Afghani and Zibran also took part in attacks on civilians, including the incident in Baisaran Valley. With this operation, Indian forces delivered a strong response to the earlier attack and reinforced their ongoing efforts to curb terrorism in the region.

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Operation Mahadev: How Forces Tracked and Eliminated Terrorists

Operation Mahadev began soon after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. Security agencies quickly held a meeting with the Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police. They decided to stop the attackers from escaping and strengthened surveillance across key areas. Amit Shah later confirmed that forces made strict arrangements to block any escape routes.

On May 22, the Intelligence Bureau received the first strong input about the terrorists’ presence in the Dachigam area. After that, the IB and the Army worked together to confirm the information. They used advanced tools to capture signals and tracked movements in the region. At the same time, officers and जवान from different forces continued ground patrols in tough weather and high-altitude areas.

Their efforts succeeded on July 22, when sensors detected signals from one of the terrorists. This confirmed their exact location. Soon after, CRPF teams and Jammu and Kashmir Police, led by 4 Para, surrounded the area. The forces then carried out a planned operation and eliminated all three terrorists.

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