Amit Shah Confirms Elimination of Pahalgam Attackers in Operation Mahadev, Evidence Links to Pakistan

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in Parliament on Tuesday that three terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack had been neutralized in Operation Mahadev, which took place in Jammu and Kashmir the day before. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a debate on Operation Sindoor, Shah identified the terrorists as Suleiman, Afghani, and Gibran, who were senior members of the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba group.

Shah stated that these terrorists, responsible for the massacre of 26 civilians in Baisaran Valley, had been eliminated, attributing the success to the coordinated efforts of the Indian Army, CRPF, and J&K Police. Suleiman was noted as a prominent Lashkar commander directly involved in the Pahalgam attack, while Afghani and Gibran were on a most-wanted list.

The Home Minister explained that he traveled to Srinagar immediately following the April 22 incident to conduct high-level security reviews, ensuring the perpetrators did not cross the Line of Control. He disclosed that human intelligence was received by the Intelligence Bureau on May 22 regarding the terrorists' presence in Dachigam near Srinagar. Once their location was confirmed, a joint operation was executed on July 22, resulting in the deaths of all three terrorists.

To verify their involvement in the Pahalgam attack, Shah described the forensic process undertaken. "The NIA had previously arrested locals who sheltered these terrorists. They identified the bodies. We recovered the rifles—one M9 and two AK-47s—and sent them to the Chandigarh FSL. Ballistic analysis showed a 100 percent match between these weapons and the bullet shells from the Pahalgam site," Shah said, presenting the report and noting the confirmation by six forensic scientists.

Shah also highlighted significant evidence, including Pakistani voter IDs for two terrorists and chocolate wrappers made in Pakistan found among their belongings. "This confirms their origin from across the border. What more proof is needed?" he asked, criticizing senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for questioning Pakistan's involvement in the attack.

Shah criticized the Opposition for not acknowledging 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 affirming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the charge against terrorist masterminds in Operation Sindoor, and the security forces had now ensured their executioners were brought to justice.

The announcement received applause from BJP members while sparking protests from the Opposition benches.