Operation Mahadev: Pahalgam terror attack mastermind among three terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir
Musa Fauji, a senior commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was identified as the chief conspirator and executor of the April 22 attack in Baisaran Valley
PTC Web Desk: The mastermind behind the deadly Pahalgam attack, which left 26 civilians dead, has been neutralised by Indian security forces in an encounter in Srinagar. Sources confirmed that Suleiman Shah, also known as Musa Fauji, was killed along with two other Pakistani terrorists in an operation conducted under the banner of Operation Mahadev.
Musa Fauji, a senior commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was identified as the chief conspirator and executor of the April 22 attack in Baisaran Valley, a picturesque area often referred to as "mini Switzerland". The terrorists targeted a group of unsuspecting tourists, executing those they identified as non-Muslim. This attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of LeT.
Suleiman Shah was not only behind the Pahalgam carnage but also implicated in the killing of seven individuals involved in the Z-Morh tunnel project on the Srinagar-Sonmarg highway last year. Shah’s terrorist activities were part of a larger pattern of violence aimed at disrupting peace in the region.
Mahadev Operation
The operation that led to his death was a joint effort by the Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police, who had been tracking the terrorist group for over two weeks. The breakthrough came when a suspicious communication, intercepted in July, revealed the presence of a joint group of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists hiding in the jungles of Dachigam, located near Mount Mahadev.
Intelligence gathered from local nomads helped corroborate the presence of these foreign terrorists, who were soon surrounded by Army teams. On Monday, around 11.30 am, a combined team of the 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 PARA units executed a well-planned operation, neutralizing the terrorists without giving them a chance to escape. The operation's success was attributed to superior tactical manoeuvres and maintaining the element of surprise.
During the encounter, security forces recovered 17 grenades, one M4 carbine, and two AK-47 rifles from the terrorists’ hideout. The Dachigam area was cordoned off as the bodies were recovered, and the identification process is underway. Once confirmed, authorities will ascertain the terrorists' involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been spearheading the investigation into the Pahalgam attack, has made arrests in connection with the attack. Last month, two locals, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad, were arrested for allegedly harbouring the attackers, providing crucial assistance to the militants.