Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday confirmed that Suleman, a top commander of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, has been killed in a joint counter-terror operation named Operation Mahadev. Addressing the Lok Sabha during the ongoing debate on Operation Sindoor, Shah said the killing of Suleman, along with two other Pakistani terrorists, marks a decisive response by Indian security forces to the brutal June attack.
“In a joint Operation Mahadev, the Indian Army, CRPF, and J&K Police have neutralized three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam killings—Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran. These were the same men who murdered innocent tourists in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam,” Shah declared.
‘Justice Delivered on Indian Soil’
Home Minister Shah underscored that Suleman was not just an operative but a key commander directing LeT operations in South Kashmir, with direct links to handlers across the border. “He was the brain behind the attack that claimed the lives of innocent civilians—including a woman widowed just six days after her wedding,” Shah told the House, recalling his visit to meet the victims’ families after the incident.
“Justice has been served. Those who sent the terrorists have already been neutralized, and now the killers themselves have met their end on Indian soil,” he said.
Operation Mahadev: Launched After Swift Intelligence Input
Revealing operational details, Shah said Operation Mahadev was initiated on May 22, the day intelligence agencies received verified inputs about the terrorists’ location. He personally arrived in Srinagar that morning at 5:30 am, chaired an emergency review with top security officials, and gave clear instructions: no terrorist involved in the Pahalgam massacre must escape or cross the border.
The operation culminated yesterday when all three terrorists were killed in a targeted encounter.
Identification Verified by Forensics and Witnesses
The Home Minister informed Parliament that the slain terrorists were identified through multiple layers of verification. Two overground workers (OGWs) arrested earlier had helped in confirming their identities. “The bullets used in the Pahalgam killings were matched by forensic labs with the weapons recovered from the terrorists,” he stated. “Even family members of the victims confirmed the identities when shown the bodies.”
More than 1,000 people were questioned over 3,000 hours as part of the investigation, which led to the arrest of two OGWs who had provided food and shelter to the terrorists post-attack. These individuals remain in custody.
