Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, July 29, informed the Lok Sabha that the three Pakistani terrorists responsible for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam were eliminated in a high-level operation by security forces in Dachigam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking during a discussion on Operation Sindoor, Shah revealed that the terrorists – identified as Suleiman alias Faisal, Jibran, and Afghan Bhai – were members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and had crossed over from Pakistan to carry out the deadly assault. “As locals are refusing to join terror outfits, Pakistan is now pushing in foreign terrorists,” he stated.
The April 22 attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists, when the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately. “The three terrorists who massacred our innocent civilians have been neutralised,” Shah told Parliament.
The joint operation, dubbed Operation Mahadev, was led by the IB, the Indian Army, the CRPF, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Human and technical intelligence played a crucial role in tracking the movement of the terrorists.
Suleiman, a top-category LeT operative, was also involved in the October 2024 Gagangir terror attack. The identities and roles of all three terrorists were confirmed through ballistic and forensic analyses, as well as witness testimonies – including those of two individuals who had sheltered the attackers on the night before the strike.
“Two AK-47 rifles and an M4 carbine were recovered from the site. Forensic testing confirmed these were the same weapons used in the Pahalgam attack. We flew them to the Chandigarh lab on a special plane and received ballistic confirmation early this morning,” Shah stated.
The Union Minister also disclosed that the first intelligence tip-off came on May 22. Over the following two months, communication signals were closely tracked using indigenous surveillance equipment. The breakthrough came on July 22 when sensors confirmed a terrorist presence in Dachigam. A coordinated strike by Army’s 4 Para unit, CRPF personnel, and J&K police forces cornered and eliminated the terrorists, aided by five local human assets.
The NIA had earlier arrested two individuals – Bashir and Parvez – who had provided shelter and food to the terrorists at a nearby hut (dhok) on April 21. “The terrorists were served tea and food. Before leaving, they even took some spices from the hut,” Shah revealed.
As part of the probe, the NIA interviewed over 1,000 individuals including survivors, family members, local pony riders, photographers, and others working in the area. More than 3,000 hours of video recordings have been documented as part of the investigation.
The operation marks a major counter-terrorism success and underscores India’s commitment to dismantling cross-border terror networks.
