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| Pahalgam attack perpetrators eliminated after intercepting suspicious communication: HM Shah | | | Atul Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday confirmed that security forces on Monday killed three Pakistani terrorists involved in the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack.
The operation was launched following a suspicious communication intercepted by intelligence agencies on July 11 in the Harwan area near Dachigam, according to officials familiar with the development. The intercept reportedly linked the user of the communication device to the Pahalgam massacre, prompting a massive combing operation by the Army and paramilitary forces.
After nearly 17 days of search and surveillance, a joint team of the 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 Para Commandos located and neutralized the three terrorists around 11:30 am on Monday in a forested stretch of Dachigam. The terrorists were caught off guard, officials said.
“We have been intercepting terrorist communications regularly. A suspected signal picked up on July 11 indicated links with the Pahalgam attack. Multiple teams were deployed, and finally, we achieved success this morning,” an Army officer said on condition of anonymity.
From the hideout, security forces recovered one M4 carbine, two AK-47 rifles, grenades, ammunition, and food supplies. The operation site was located in the Harwan area of Dachigam, a rugged and densely forested zone.
Jammu and Kashmir Police confirmed the operation via a post on social media platform X, stating: “Op Mahadev: The identification of the neutralised #terrorists is being done! Please await further details.”
Though Suleiman Shah is believed to be among the slain militants, official confirmation of identities is awaited. Shah, suspected to be a former Pakistan Army commando, has been on the radar of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) since the Pahalgam attack. Intelligence inputs suggest he played a leading role in planning and executing the targeted killing of 25 tourists and a local pony operator at a scenic meadow in Pahalgam.
A second senior official said Shah’s name has consistently surfaced in intercepted communications since the April attack. “Their electronic devices are being examined for further details, including movement and hideouts. We expect more clarity by Tuesday morning,” the officer added.
The identities of the other two terrorists are likely to be verified with help from Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar—two locals arrested last month by the NIA for allegedly sheltering the attackers. According to the NIA, the duo had provided food, shelter, and logistical support to the three armed terrorists at a seasonal hut in Hill Park before the assault.
“The terrorists selectively targeted tourists based on religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks in recent times,” the NIA said in a previous statement.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the proscribed LeT, had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam killings. Indian intelligence agencies have maintained that TRF is a front used by Pakistan to mask state-sponsored terrorism and avoid international sanctions.
Investigations have also traced the attackers’ digital trail to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, drawing parallels to the command-and-control infrastructure used during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
India responded to the Pahalgam massacre by launching Operation Sindoor on May 7, conducting pre-dawn precision strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The retaliatory operation reportedly killed over 100 militants and triggered four days of cross-border hostilities.
The Indian Air Force targeted 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations on the intervening night of May 9 and 10 before a cessation of hostilities on May 10. |
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