Pahalgam Attack Mastermind Among 3 LeT Terrorists Killed in Srinagar Encounter

Srinagar — In a major breakthrough for Indian security forces, three Pakistani terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, were killed in an encounter during ‘Operation Mahadev’ in Srinagar’s Harwan area on Monday.

The terrorists, identified as Suleiman Shah, Abu Hamza, and Jabran, were cornered and neutralized in the upper reaches of Dachigam National Park near Mahadev Peak by a joint team comprising the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu & Kashmir Police.

Officials confirmed that Suleiman Shah, a former Pakistani Army personnel also known by the alias Hashim Moosa, orchestrated the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. He was on the radar of security agencies, with a ?20 lakh reward announced for information leading to his capture.

Sources said Jabran also participated in the Pahalgam attack. The terrorists were gunned down in a fierce overnight gunfight following a tip-off.

This high-profile operation coincided with the Lok Sabha debate on the Pahalgam attack and India's military response—Operation Sindoor—targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Security forces acted on precise intelligence and launched a coordinated assault in the difficult terrain of Dachigam. Reinforcements were quickly dispatched to ensure the terrorists didn’t escape.

Since 2019, under the guidance of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, anti-terror operations have expanded beyond eliminating militants, targeting the entire terror-support ecosystem—armed operatives, sympathizers, and over-ground workers (OGWs).

Following the April 22 attack, Indian forces carried out retaliatory strikes on terror hubs inside Pakistan, destroying nine terrorist bases. Pakistan responded with cross-border shelling, damaging civilian homes and religious structures, including a temple, a gurdwara, and a church in Jammu’s Poonch district. In the ensuing exchange, 18 Pakistani military installations were hit.

With inputs from IANS