SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir – In a significant development in India’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, three Pakistani terrorists were killed in an encounter near the Dachigam National Park in Srinagar on Monday, July 28, 2025. Sources close to the investigation indicate that one of the masterminds behind the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, Suleiman Shah, also known as Musa, was among those neutralized in the fierce gunfight.
GV Sundeep Chakravarty, Srinagar’s Senior Superintendent of Police, confirmed that the three terrorists were Pakistani nationals belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit. They were killed in the Harwan area as part of “Operation Mahadev,” an anti-terror operation that unfolded on Monday afternoon.
A person familiar with the matter stated that Suleiman Shah is believed to have been the main shooter in the April 22 attack on Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, 25 of whom were tourists visiting the Baisaran meadow.
While Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha acknowledged the successful operation, stating, “It is true that three Pakistani terrorists have been eliminated. The police administration will give full information about this” there has been no immediate official confirmation of Suleiman Shah’s death.
Vidhi Kumar Birdi, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir zone), noted that the identification process for 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 stated. Officials suggested that the other two slain terrorists were also Pakistani nationals and members of the LeT.
Suleiman Shah’s name prominently surfaced as the main suspect following the Pahalgam attack, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had actively been searching for him. He is widely believed to be a former Pakistan army commando who played a pivotal role in the execution of the deadly April 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,” an officer, requesting anonymity, shared.
“Operation Mahadev” involved a coordinated effort by the Indian Army, teams from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Jammu & Kashmir Police. The encounter began around 11 AM after security forces intercepted the movement of the terrorists in the upper reaches of the Dachigam forest, a second unnamed officer confirmed.
The operation’s timing coincided with the commencement of the parliamentary debate on “Operation Sindoor,” India’s larger military response launched in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. “Operation Mahadev” takes its name from the 13,000-ft Mahadev mountain, the highest peak in the Zabarwan range, known for its natural beauty and trekking trails near Dachigam National Park.
The Chinar Corps of the Indian Army also updated on the operation via X, stating: “OP MAHADEV – Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress.”
“Operation Sindoor” was India’s strategic response to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam, which was considered the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, bombing nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These pre-dawn strikes reportedly killed at least 100 terrorists and triggered a series of retaliatory attacks and counterattacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and intense artillery and rocket duels. Military hostilities ceased on May 10 after the two nations reached an understanding.