In a significant victory for security forces, three terrorists responsible for the brutal Pahalgam massacre have been eliminated in a joint operation near Srinagar. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the successful operation in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, stating that the terrorists were killed on Monday under “Operation Mahadev.”
The neutralized terrorists have been identified as Suleman alias Faizal, Afghani, and Jibran. Shah confirmed that Suleman and Afghani were A-category commanders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, while Jibran was a notorious and wanted terrorist. All three were directly involved in the April 22 attack in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, where innocent civilians were brutally murdered after being questioned about their religion.
To ensure their identities, individuals previously detained for aiding the terrorists were brought in and confirmed the involvement of the three slain individuals. Shah further stated that M-9 and AK-47 rifles recovered from the terrorists were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh for examination. Forensic experts have confirmed, via video call, that the bullets used in the Pahalgam attack match those fired from the recovered weapons, with the ballistic report now in the Home Minister’s possession.
Adding to the evidence of cross-border terrorism, Pakistani voter IDs for two of the killed terrorists, along with chocolates made in Pakistan, were recovered. Following the Pahalgam attack, security forces were given clear instructions to prevent the responsible terrorists from escaping the country.
Shah condemned the Pahalgam attack as barbaric and expressed his heartfelt condolences for the victims and those who lost their lives due to Pakistani shelling on civilians. He highlighted that Pakistan continues to be the source of terrorism, asserting that there are currently no local terrorists in Kashmir, and those operating are being sent from across the border. He also criticized the previous Congress government’s approach to terrorism between 2005 and 2011, claiming they merely sent dossiers to Pakistan in response to 27 terrorist attacks. Shah concluded by calling Pakistan “the root of all terrorism” and a “mistake committed by the Congress” for not rejecting partition.
