The hunt for the terrorists responsible for the brutal April 22 Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 innocent civilians lost their lives, came to a decisive end this week—thanks to a high-stakes intelligence breakthrough and the tireless coordination of India’s security forces.
It was the detection of a signal from a Chinese-manufactured satellite phone—used by the same group of militants for the second time in just 17 days—that gave security agencies their final lead.
Tracked carefully by military-grade surveillance systems, the signal pinpointed the group’s location near Mulnar Peak, situated along the Lidwas Meadow of Mahadev Peak, in the strategic Zabarwan Range within the Dachigam forest belt, just outside Srinagar.
This breakthrough triggered Operation Mahadev, a high-risk mission executed by a joint team of the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The terrain was treacherous: steep, forested, and nearly 30 kilometres from the nearest human settlement in Chak Dara. The area is difficult to navigate and dangerous, which made this operation all the more impressive.
According to top intelligence sources, the same satellite phone had also emitted a signal earlier on July 11, from Baisaran in Anantnag district.
Since then, the militants had been on the move, frequently changing locations to avoid detection. Security forces had been tracking them relentlessly—often even during the night—waiting patiently for the opportune moment.
When they picked up the second signal on Saturday, agencies acted immediately, launching Operation Mahadev. Ground intelligence, including inputs from local nomadic communities, proved invaluable.
Early Monday morning, around 11:30 am, the security forces finally cornered the terrorists, who were caught resting under a makeshift tent, unaware they were being watched.
What followed was an intense three-hour gunfight, fierce and unforgiving. By the end of it, all three terrorists were neutralised.
Among them was Suleiman Shah, a senior commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who had received advanced training at the group’s base in Muridke, Pakistan.
Alongside him were Hamza Afghani and Jibran, both also Pakistani nationals. Jibran, sources say, was directly involved in the killing of six Indian workers at the Z-Morh tunnel project in October last year in Ganderbal district.
Knowing that these were high-value operatives, authorities didn’t rush to release their identities. Instead, they followed a meticulous verification process.
This included consultations with the families of the Pahalgam victims and interrogations of Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar—two locals currently in jail, accused of having harbored the terrorists at their seasonal ‘dhok’ shelter in Hill Park.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Lok Sabha, detailed the identification process: “Yesterday’s operation took down the three who were behind the civilian killings. The NIA had already detained those who supported these terrorists, and it was through their confirmation that we verified the attackers’ identities.”
He elaborated further: “The cartridges recovered at the Pahalgam attack site were subjected to ballistic testing.
When we recovered three rifles during this encounter—one American M9 rifle and two AK-47s—they were sent to Chandigarh for forensic analysis. The match was conclusive. These were the very same weapons used to massacre our people.”
This operation is being hailed as a major counter-terror victory, not only because it eliminated the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack, but also because it showcased the depth of coordination between technical surveillance, ground intelligence, and patient tactical planning.
It was a message to hostile forces—India’s security network is vigilant, precise, and relentless.
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