Three terrorists were killed during an intense firefight between terrorists and security forces in the Harwan area near Dachigam National Park in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday. The Chinar Corps of the Army confirmed the incident on X, confirming that three terrorists were killed and the operation is still in progress.
According to senior security officers, Suleman Shah, the chief organizer of the Pahalgam terror attack, was one of the three terrorists shot dead in an encounter on Monday in Srinagar. The operation was a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, and was called Operation Mahadev. The operation was conducted in Lidwas area near Dara not far from Dachigam National Park.
The other terrorists killed in the action have been identified as Jibran who was allegedly involved in the Sonamarg Tunnel attack last year and Hamza Afghani.
The encounter was initiated at approximately 11 a.m. after having received specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of foreign terrorists in the area. The firefight took place in the thick forest area between the Zabarwan and Mahadev ridges, which led to the name of the operation.
Operation Mahadev
After the deadly Pahalgam terror strike that takes 26 people lives, security forces launched a large-scale operation to eliminate those involved in the attack. Over the past month, intelligence had revealed that the attackers moved towards the Dachigam area situated approximately 20 km from Srinagar’s city center.
Based on these inputs, security forces launched an anti militancy operation in the Mulnar area of Harwan, on the morning of Monday. While forces were conducting search operations, two burst gunshots were heard in the distance – indicating contact with militants.
Security forces immediately left the area, dispatching troops to the area, and increasing combing operations led to a fierce encounter where three terrorists, including Suleman Shah, the mastermind of the attack in Pahalgam, were neutralised.