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After Chidambaram’s ‘No Pakistan Link’ Claim, 3 Pakistani Terrorists Suspected To Be Behind Pahalgam Terror Attack Killed In Operation Mahadev

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The Commune
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Cover Pic Source: Gore Unit Telegram Channel

In light of Congress MP Chidambaram’s statement giving a clean chit to Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps announced the launch of Operation Mahadev in General Area Lidwas, Kashmir. They wrote, “OP MAHADEV Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress.”

An hour or so later, the update stated, “OP MAHADEV – Update Three terrorist have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation Continues.”

OSINT handles indicated that the 3 Pakistani terrorists suspected to be involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack were killed in the encounter in Srinagar’s Dachigam area during a joint operation carried out by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police under Operation Mahadev.

The latest post from the OSINT handle shows the dead terrorists.

Image Source: GoreUnit
Operation Mahadev

Security forces recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the militants’ hideout, including 17 grenades, one M4 carbine, and two AK-47 rifles.

A senior official told India Today there was a strong possibility that the slain terrorists were connected to the deadly attack in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, in which several security personnel were targeted. The identities of the militants are being confirmed, and their possible role in the Pahalgam incident will be ascertained following forensic and intelligence verification.

The operation was launched after the Army intercepted suspicious communication in early July in the Dachigam forest area. Intelligence inputs indicated the presence of a joint group of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives, who were subsequently tracked for nearly two weeks with assistance from local nomadic communities.

On Monday at around 11:30 AM, a team comprising 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 PARA engaged the terrorists near Mount Mahadev, successfully neutralising all three. The operation name “Mahadev” was reportedly chosen due to the encounter’s location between the Zabarwan and Mahadev ridgelines. Last month, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is leading the probe into the Pahalgam attack, arrested two local residents, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad, for allegedly providing shelter to the attackers. OSINT handles identify that the terrorists as Abu Hamza (a) Harris, Yasir and Suleiman.

The Indian Army has not yet officially confirmed (at the time of publishing this article) if these terrorists killed are indeed the much-wanted Pahalgam terror attack perpetrators.

If they are, the centre and the Army stand vindicated for their actions following the terror attack, namely Operation Sindoor and negate the clean chits given by the likes of Chidambaram.

What Did Chidambaram Say?

He asked, “Why do you assume that the attackers came from Pakistan?” – a question that conveniently aligns with Pakistan’s standard propaganda playbook. His remarks have sparked a massive backlash, with the BJP accusing him of providing rhetorical cover to India’s enemies and trivializing the cross-border nature of jihadist terror.

“Have they (NIA) identified the terrorists or where they came from? For all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume they came from Pakistan? There is no evidence of that.”, he said in an interview to Congress-supporting leftist portal The Quint.

Pahalgam Terror Attack

The killing of three Pakistani terrorists in Srinagar has brought renewed attention to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Kashmir in recent years. The development comes as Parliament prepares to discuss the attack and Operation Sindoor, India’s ongoing military and intelligence response.

The opposition has repeatedly criticised the government over its failure to swiftly identify and apprehend those responsible for the carnage.

The brutal assault took place in the Baisaran Valley area of Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination often referred to as “mini Switzerland”. The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to eyewitness accounts and initial investigations, the terrorists targeted male picnickers and specifically executed those identified as non-Muslims, making it a targeted communal attack.

Sources had earlier named Suleiman Shah, a known Lashkar operative, as a possible key figure in the assault. Shah is also suspected of being involved in the killing of seven workers linked to the Z-Morh tunnel construction project along the Srinagar-Sonmarg highway in 2023.

(With inputs from India Today)

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