Pahalgam attacker link to 3 killed in J&K encounter

A person familiar with the matter said one of the terrorists killed was Suleiman Shah, believed to be the main shooter in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Three Pakistani terrorists were shot dead in an encounter near the Dachigam National Park in Srinagar on Monday with people aware of details saying that one of the masterminds of the Pahalgam terror attack, Suleiman Shah or Musa, was among those killed in the gunfight.

Security forces near the encounter site near the Dachigam National Park in Srinagar on Monday. (Waseem Andrabi /HT)

Srinagar senior superintendent of police GV Sundeep Chakravarty confirmed that the three terrorists were Pakistani nationals, belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and were killed in the Harwan area as part of Operation Mahadev on Monday afternoon.

A person familiar with the matter said one of the terrorists killed was Suleiman Shah, believed to be the main shooter in the April 22 attack that killed 26 people, 25 of whom were tourists visiting the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam.

“It is true that three Pakistani terrorists have been eliminated. The police administration will give full information about this,” lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said.

There was no official confirmation of the death of Suleiman Shah.

Inspector general of police (Kashmir zone) Vidhi Kumar Birdi said the identification of the three terrorists was underway and would take some time.

“Operation is still continuing. It will take us some time for identification, and parties are still inside,” he said.

The identities of the two other terrorists could not be ascertained but officials suggested they were both Pakistani nationals and members of the LeT.

Suleiman Shah’s name figured as the main suspect after the Pahalgam attack and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also on a lookout for him. It is believed that he was a former Pakistan army commando and was behind the execution of the deadly attack.

“Suleiman Shah’s name comes up repeatedly in most intercepts since the Pahalgam attack. He was a key operative. Their electronic devices are being examined to know about their communications, routes taken and places of hideout in the last three months,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.

Along with the Indian Army, teams from the Central Reserve Police Force and the Jammu & Kashmir Police were also involved in Operation Mahadev. The encounter began around 11am after forces intercepted the movement of the terrorists in the upper reaches of Dachigam forest, saida second officer, also asking not to be named. It came on a day Parliament started debating Operation Sindoor, which was launched as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

The operation was named after the 13,000-ft Mahadev mountain, the highest peak in the Zabarwan range, which is located near the Dachigam National Park and is known for its natural beauty and trekking trails.

The anti-terror Operation Mahadev took place in the general area of Lidwas, the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said. “OP MAHADEV - Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress,” the Chinar Corp said in a post on X.

India responded to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam, which was the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes, with Operation Sindoor.

India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, bombing nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes — which killed at least 100 terrorists — sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels. In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding.