Pahalgam attack mastermind among 3 terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev
What's the story
Security forces initiated a large operation on Monday in the Lidwas area near Dara in Jammu and Kashmir, following reports of terrorist movement in a popular trekking destination. The joint exercise, named Operation Mahadev, was launched by the Army, J&K Police, and the CRPF. In an update, the Army said three terrorists have been neutralized and the operation is ongoing.
Twitter Post
Indian Army's post on X
OP MAHADEV
— Chinar Corps🍁 - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) July 28, 2025
Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress.#Kashmir@adgpi@NorthernComd_IA pic.twitter.com/xSjEegVxra
Report
Terrorists were 'high-value' targets
One of the terrorists has been identified as Suleman Shah, aka Hashim Mussa, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander who was the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack. Musa was also involved in the killings of seven persons who were working on the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Sonmarg route last year. The other two slain terrorists were Abu Hamza and Yasir.
Operation
Terrorists were closely tracked for 14 days
According to India Today, the Army intercepted a suspicious communication in the Dachigam jungle in July. After that, they closely followed a group of Lashkar and Jaish militants for 14 days. This information was confirmed by local nomads, who also provided information on the terrorists. Following that, Army teams, consisting of 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 PARA, were rushed to the scene on Monday.
Parliament
16-hour special discussion on Operation Sindoor
The operation comes on the same day that Parliament is scheduled to debate the Pahalgam attack and India's response to the massacre, Operation Sindoor. Since the Parliament session started, the opposition has been demanding a debate on the attack, Donald Trump's statements on the ceasefire, and the Bihar SIR Process, among others. The Lok Sabha will hold a 16-hour special discussion on Operation Sindoor.