Security forces on Monday neutralised three terrorists, including Suleiman Shah, the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, during an encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Acting on specific intelligence, the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a joint operation, which was codenamed Operation Mahadev in the rugged Lidwas region near Dara, close to Dachigam National Park.
Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Indian Army confirmed that three terrorists were killed in a fierce gunfight.
“Three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation continues,” China Corps wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
However, sources said one of the slain terrorists has been identified as Suleiman Shah, the mastermind behind the recent Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead.
Who was Suleman Shah, mastermind of the Pahalgam attack?
- Suleiman Shah, also known as Hashim Moosa, was the mastermind behind the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, NDTV reported.
- Suleiman Shah had previously served in the Pakistan Army, the report added.
- He was affiliated with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
- Following the attack in Baisaran, the Jammu and Kashmir Police announced a ₹20 lakh reward for credible information leading to his whereabouts.
- Suleman Shah was believed to be hiding in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in the weeks after the attack.
“It is a prolonged operation and is still continuing in which J&K police, paramilitary and army have an exchange of fire (with terrorists) in higher reaches. As per the interior reports, three bodies are being observed and seems to be neutralised. It is an ongoing operation and I would not like to divulge much at this moment. We will share details with you at an opportune time. It will take us some time for identification and all that. The (security) parties are still inside,” IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi told the media.
{{/usCountry}}“It is a prolonged operation and is still continuing in which J&K police, paramilitary and army have an exchange of fire (with terrorists) in higher reaches. As per the interior reports, three bodies are being observed and seems to be neutralised. It is an ongoing operation and I would not like to divulge much at this moment. We will share details with you at an opportune time. It will take us some time for identification and all that. The (security) parties are still inside,” IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi told the media.
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