As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiated the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament, Indian security forces notched a major success on the ground by eliminating three Pakistani terrorists during an encounter in Dachigam near Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
Two of the slain militants were reportedly involved in the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 civilians were murdered in cold blood.
Among those killed was Suleiman Shah, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative identified as the mastermind of the April 22 attack that sent shockwaves across the country.
Security sources confirmed that Suleiman, who also went by the alias Hashim Moosa and had previously served in the Pakistan Army, was gunned down in this morning’s operation.
A bounty of ₹20 lakh had been placed on his head by Jammu and Kashmir Police following the Pahalgam massacre.
The anti-terror operation, codenamed Operation Mahadev, also resulted in the deaths of two other terrorists — Abu Hamza and Yasir.
Yasir, too, is suspected to have played a direct role in the Pahalgam killings.
Intel-Led Joint Operation
This high-stakes joint operation involved personnel from the Indian Army, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Jammu and Kashmir Police, all acting on specific intelligence inputs.
The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps, via its official X handle, confirmed that Operation Mahadev was launched in the Lidwas area.
“Three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation Continues,” read an update, indicating that search efforts are still underway.
All three slain terrorists were considered “high-value” targets.
The operation, based on actionable intelligence, was carried out in the Mulnar region of Harwan. Reinforcements were swiftly deployed, and a detailed combing operation is ongoing in the area to flush out any remaining threats.
IBNS has obtained exclusive visuals of the targeted terrorist hideout deep within a forested area.
The images reveal a stash of weapons, including Carbine and AK-47 rifles, 17 rifle grenades, and a large cache of other arms and ammunition.
According to security officials, this stockpile points to a possible large-scale terror plot that may have been in the works for Jammu and Kashmir.
(With inputs from IBNS)
