The Indian security forces killed three terrorists in an encounter in Lidwas area near Harwan on the outskirts of Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, including one who is believed to be the mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The security forces engaged the three men in an intense gunfight, eventually killing the heavily armed terrorists.(Waseem Andrabi/HT)

The security action, codenamed Operation Mahadev, took place after intelligence inputs and technical surveillance suggested terrorist movement in the area.

The operation was jointly carried out by the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel.

One of the terrorists killed is believed to be Suleiman Shah, the mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said.

However, the identification of the terrorists is currently underway and would take some time, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) Vidhi Kumar Birdi said.

Five facts on Operation Mahadev

📌 A joint team of the 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 Para unit detected terrorist movement in the region, following which an encounter began at 11 am under an operation codenamed ‘Mahadev’. The security forces engaged the three men in an intense gunfight, eventually killing the heavily armed terrorists.

📌While one of the slain terrorists – Suleiman Shah – is allegedly the mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack, another has been identified as Jibran. Jibran is a key Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, who is believed to be involved in the October 2023 Sonamarg Tunnel attack which led to the loss of seven lives.

📌During the encounter, the security forces also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the site where the terrorists were found. These included a M4 carbine, two AK rifles, and other war-like stores, which indicate the possibility that the terrorists were planning another attack.

📌The operation was launched after a technical signal which was similar to a device used by the terrorists in Pahalgam, PTI news quoted officials as saying. Apart from this, drone surveillance was employed to monitor the forested terrain close to the Dachigam National Park.

📌Sources say that Operation Mahadev is part of a broader effort to eliminate sleeper cells and terrorists which have infiltrated into the Kashmir valley.