Operation Mahadev: Flooded Tunnels Trap Pahalgam Killers, Forces Deliver Justice

In a decisive blow to terrorism, Indian security forces eliminated three Pakistani terrorists—Suleman alias Faizal Jutt, Hamza Afghan, and Jibran—responsible for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 civilian lives in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Lok Sabha during the Operation Sindoor debate on July 29, confirmed their deaths in Operation Mahadev, revealing a high-stakes operation involving flooded escape tunnels, cutting-edge forensics, and an all-night vigil to ensure airtight evidence.

Operation Mahadev: Precision Strike Near Srinagar

On July 28, 2025, a joint team of the Indian Army’s 4 Para unit, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police engaged the terrorists in a fierce encounter in Lidwas, near Srinagar’s Dachigam National Park. Operation Mahadev, launched after weeks of intelligence-gathering, relied on intercepted Chinese encrypted communications, pinpointing the terrorists’ hideout by July 22. The gunfight resulted in the deaths of the three terrorists, with security forces recovering an M9 carbine, two AK-47 rifles, rifle grenades, and Pakistan-made items, including voter IDs and chocolates, confirming their origins.

Also Read: Operation Mahadev: NIA Probes Killing of Pahalgam Attack Mastermind.

Shah, speaking in Parliament, condemned the Pahalgam attack’s brutality, where the terrorists targeted civilians after questioning their religion. “This was a heinous act, and our forces ensured justice,” he said, dedicating the operation to the victims’ families.

Forensic Breakthrough and Shah’s Oversight

Determined to eliminate doubts, Shah oversaw a rigorous verification process. Two locals, Parvaiz and Bashir Jothar, arrested by the NIA on June 22 for aiding the terrorists, identified the bodies at a Srinagar morgue. To confirm their involvement, the recovered weapons were airlifted to Chandigarh’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) on a special Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft, with additional equipment flown from Ahmedabad. Scientists test-fired the weapons, matching the bullet casings to those found at Baisaran Valley. Shah, awake until 5 a.m. on July 29, coordinated with six ballistic experts via video calls, securing a 100% match. “I hold the ballistic report. There is no room for doubt,” he told the Lok Sabha.

The CFSL analysis revealed that the terrorists’ weapons—an M9 and two AK-47s—had not been fired since the Pahalgam attack, indicating the trio had been in hiding for three months, unable to escape due to India’s strategic countermeasures.

Strategic Trap: Flooded Tunnels

Hours after the Pahalgam attack, Shah flew to Srinagar on April 23, directing security forces to block the terrorists’ escape to Pakistan. Intelligence identified an 8-km infiltration route along the LoC, leading to the discovery of secret tunnels used by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to which the terrorists were linked. The Army’s 15 Corps, under Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, flooded these tunnels with water from nearby streams, a tactic inspired by past anti-infiltration measures in 2016. This trapped the terrorists, forcing them to seek shelter in Lidwas, where they were tracked using drone surveillance and local informants.

Political and International Context

The operation, part of India’s broader Operation Sindoor, followed India’s May 7 strikes on LeT infrastructure in Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, which the UNSC linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), an LeT proxy. Shah countered opposition claims, particularly from Congress’s P. Chidambaram, who questioned the terrorists’ origins. “Their voter IDs scream Pakistan. What politics blinds the opposition?” he asked. The NIA’s probe, involving 1,055 interviews and 3,000 hours of CCTV, also tied Suleman to the October 2024 Z-Morh attack, killing seven.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan of further action if terrorism persists, while Shah’s meticulous approach silenced critics, including SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, who faced Shah’s retort: “Do you speak for Pakistan?” The operation’s success, backed by forensic evidence and strategic brilliance, reaffirms India’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism.

Also Read: Monsoon Session: 3 Pahalgam Attackers Killed in Operation Mahadev, Amit Shah Confirms