Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday confirmed in Parliament that the three terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack were neutralized in Operation Mahadev, conducted in Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier. Addressing the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor, Shah named the terrorists as Suleiman, Afghani, and Gibran—senior operatives of the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit.
“These three terrorists who massacred 26 civilians in Baisaran Valley have been eliminated,” Shah declared, crediting the coordinated effort of the Indian Army, CRPF, and J&K Police. Suleiman, identified as a top Lashkar commander, had direct involvement in the Pahalgam incident. Afghani and Gibran, too, were on the most-wanted list.
The Home Minister said he rushed to Srinagar immediately after the April 22 attack, conducting high-level security reviews to ensure the culprits did not escape across the Line of Control. He revealed that the Intelligence Bureau had received human intelligence on May 22 regarding the terrorists’ presence in Dachigam near Srinagar. Following confirmation of their location, a joint operation was launched on July 22 that ended with all three terrorists being killed.
To confirm their involvement in the Pahalgam attack, Shah detailed the forensic process. “The NIA had earlier arrested the locals who provided shelter to these terrorists. They identified the bodies. We also recovered the rifles used—one M9 and two AK-47s—and flew them to the Chandigarh FSL. Ballistic analysis confirmed a 100 percent match between these weapons and the bullet shells recovered from the Pahalgam site,” he said, holding up the report and citing verification by six forensic scientists.
Among the most striking pieces of evidence, Shah mentioned Pakistani voter IDs for two of the terrorists and chocolate wrappers manufactured in Pakistan recovered from their belongings. “This confirms that they came from across the border. What further proof is needed?” he asked, strongly criticising senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for questioning Pakistan’s role in the attack.
Shah condemned the Opposition for not welcoming the elimination of the terrorists, stating, “The killers of our citizens are dead, but some in the House are not happy. This is shameful.” He concluded by asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only led the elimination of terrorist masterminds through Operation Sindoor but that security forces have now brought their executioners to justice.
The announcement was met with applause from BJP MPs and protests from the Opposition benches.
