How Indian Forces Tracked and Eliminated Pahalgam Attackers in Operation Mahadev

Operation Mahadev successfully eliminated three top Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists involved in the Pahalgam massacre. Following intelligence from May 22, Indian forces tracked the suspects for two months before a coordinated strike on July 22. The Army, CRPF, and J&K Police executed the mission, preventing their escape to Pakistan.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah revealed in Parliament how Indian forces meticulously planned and executed Operation Mahadev, culminating in the elimination of three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists behind the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The attackers—Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran—were killed in a joint effort by the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu & Kashmir Police.

Shah stated that the operation began on the very night of the deadly Pahalgam killings, where 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were gunned down in Baisaran Valley. A high-level security meeting was held, where it was decided the perpetrators must be stopped from fleeing the country or slipping across the border into Pakistan.

On May 22, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) received specific input about the terrorists' movement in a certain region of Jammu and Kashmir. Over the next two months, Army and CRPF personnel patrolled high-altitude zones in cold and hostile terrain, working to intercept encrypted communications.

Shah said the breakthrough came on July 22 when surveillance sensors confirmed the terrorists' exact location. Based on this intelligence, the Indian Army’s 4 Para unit, CRPF, and J&K Police launched a joint strike in the Lidwas forest area near Srinagar.

The armed forces managed to surround the militants and eliminate them in a well-coordinated assault. Shah described all three terrorists as “A-category” operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba and confirmed their involvement in the Pahalgam massacre.

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He emphasized the importance of sustained intelligence operations, crediting ground teams and technical surveillance for the operation’s success. With Operation Mahadev concluded, Shah assured Parliament that India would continue to strike decisively against cross-border terror threats.