Security forces launched a major counter-terror operation on Monday, July 28, in the Lidwas area near Dara, Jammu and Kashmir, following intelligence inputs indicating the presence of armed militants in the region.
Codenamed ‘Operation Mahadev’, the mission is being jointly conducted by the Indian Army and other security agencies in the Harwan area, near the Dachigam National Park, approximately 20 kilometers from Srinagar.
According to an official statement by the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps, three terrorists were killed in an intense gun battle during the ongoing operation. “OP MAHADEV – Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress,” the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle. A later update confirmed, “Three terrorist have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation Continues.”
The encounter began after security forces, acting on actionable intelligence, launched a search and cordon operation in the Mulnar area of Harwan early Monday morning, July 28. As troops combed through the difficult terrain, gunfire was exchanged with the terrorists, prompting reinforcements to be rushed to the scene to strengthen the cordon and ensure no escape routes remained.
The identities and affiliations of the slain terrorists are yet to be established, and it remains unclear if they had any direct involvement in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. That attack triggered a large-scale hunt for those responsible, and officials have indicated that intelligence over the past month suggested that suspects may have shifted their base towards the Dachigam-Harwan area.
Though no official link has been confirmed between the terrorists neutralised on Monday, July 28, and the Pahalgam incident, the timing and location have raised significant security interest.
The operation is ongoing, and the area remains under heavy security surveillance as forces continue to comb for any additional threats.
