In a swift and forceful counter-terror operation under the codename Operation Mahadev, the Indian Army, in joint coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), eliminated three terrorists who were caught napping inside a tent in the dense Lidwas forests of Jammu and Kashmir. The high-stakes encounter, led by the Chinar Corps, took place on Monday and reportedly resulted in the death of the mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack.
Reports have emerged that the terrorists were resting in a makeshift trench hideout under thick foliage when they were discovered by troops from 4 PARA and 24 Rashtriya Rifles. Using the element of surprise and precision tactics, the joint team opened fire and neutralised all three terrorists.
Media reports also confirmed that the encounter was not premeditated. It occurred as a result of a chance spotting by security personnel. Drone visuals confirmed three dead bodies within an hour of contact being established at 12:37 PM. The Chinar Corps officially stated that the three terrorists were neutralised in the operation.
A senior official revealed that when the 4 PARA unit closed in, the terrorists were lying in a resting position inside the tent. The elite force acted without delay, executing one of the most decisive anti-terror operations since the Pahalgam massacre three months ago.
One of the dead has been identified as Hashim Musa, alias Abu Suleman, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and the alleged chief conspirator and executor of the Pahalgam massacre. Sources stated that Musa had noticeably lost weight, likely to alter his appearance and evade identification. The other two are suspected to be Yasir and Hamza, also known as Harris.
A top-level source told a section of the media that there is a strong possibility that the three terrorists killed in Monday’s operation were directly involved in the Pahalgam attack.
The operation was triggered after a lone Chinese satellite phone was detected active in the Baisaran area on July 11. Following that, intelligence agencies intercepted fresh communication activity from deep within the Dachigam forests. Local nomads also played a key role by providing actionable inputs to security forces, helping narrow down the terrorists’ location.
Reports indicated that several teams from the Indian Army’s 24 Rashtriya Rifles, 4 PARA, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF had been monitoring the terrain in the Dachigam region.
The militants were reportedly part of a joint LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed module under surveillance for the past 14 days. The group is believed to comprise five to seven operatives in total, and search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining members, who are presumed to be scattered across the larger forested zone.
Security forces confirmed that the neutralised terrorists had been moving frequently and taking short rest breaks—a tactic often used to avoid sustained detection. However, this time, their moment of rest became their downfall.
Unnamed officials stated that the anti-terror operation had been in progress for two days before the encounter, prompted by signals and human intelligence linking the group to the Pahalgam attack. A suspected communication device detected in the Dachigam area had already raised suspicion of their involvement.
The identities of the terrorists are being officially verified.
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