Operation Mahadev: How security forces eliminated 'wanted' Pahalgam mastermind
What's the story
The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) successfully neutralized three terrorists in an anti-terror operation named Operation Mahadev on Monday. The operation was launched by the Chinar Corps in the Lidwas area of J&K. Among those killed was Suleman Shah, also known as Hashim Mussa, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander who was the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack. The Anantnag Police had earlier announced a ₹20 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.
Mission details
Operation had been underway for 2 days
The other two slain were Abu Hamza and Yasir. According to an India Today report, the operation had been underway for two days after suspicious communication was intercepted deep inside the Dachigam forests. Local nomads also provided valuable inputs to help narrow down the location of the suspects. Intelligence reports indicated that these terrorists belonged to a joint LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed module, which had been under surveillance by security forces. It is believed that the group has between five-seevn members.
Twitter Post
Reward by Anantnag Police
As per sources, Hashim Musa / Musa Suleiman has been neutralised by Indian Special Forces. A major breakthrough. Musa was wanted for #PahalgamTerrorAttack
— s (@Snehamtweets) July 28, 2025
Musa, a former Pak SSG soldier who later joined LeT. #Pakistan #PahalgamAttack #OperationSindoor #operationmahadev pic.twitter.com/hCMCiXkUTq
Neutralization details
How the encounter unfolded
At around 11:30am on Monday, a joint team of 24 Rashtriya Rifles and four Para forces located the terrorists in Lidwas and swiftly neutralized them. The terrorists were found hiding in a makeshift trench under a tree, camouflaged by thick foliage. Around 17 grenades, one M4 carbine, and two AK-47 rifles were found in the terrorists' bunker.
Aftermath
While operation sindoor was a strong response, the hunt continued
The operation is still ongoing as security forces continue to search for other members of the group who are believed to be hiding in the larger forest area. In the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, India had launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan. Over 100 terrorists were killed during this operation.