The elimination of Suleiman and his cadres was under the ambit of Operation Mahadev, which has been focusing on terror infrastructure throughout Jammu and Kashmir.
In a major success, security personnel killed three terrorists who were behind the fatal Pahalgam attack, relieving anguished families. Union Home Minister Amit Shah validated the killing of terrorists Suleiman, Jibran, and Afghan in a high-drama encounter close to Srinagar on Monday.
The encounter occurred in the Lidwas forest, which is thick in the Harwan area, after a well-coordinated operation by the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and state police. The combined team spotted suspicious activity around 11 am and quickly launched a fierce gunfight against the militants.
Amit Shah spoke to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, giving details of the operation. "Suleiman was the mastermind," Shah said. "The two other terrorists were named Afghan and Jibran." He went on to add that the three belonged to the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Shah also replied to questions on the background of the terrorists, specifically a question posed by Congress leader P. Chidambaram. "Voter ID cards and chocolate wrappers produced in Pakistan were found on the bodies of the terrorists," the Home Minister stated. "These indicated their nationality."
In Pune, the relatives of the victims expressed their heartfelt response. Asavari Jagdale, whose father was one of the 26 killed in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, thanked the government and the Indian Army.
"I thank the Indian government and the Indian Army. Today, all 26 individuals will get peace. Today, we will also be able to peacefully sleep and hope that such a thing does not occur again, and there is peace in the country. The government should go on with activities like Mahadev so that such things do not occur again," Asavari informed ANI.
Sangita Ganbote, the spouse of one of the killed victims, Kaustubh Ganbote, shared the same sentiments. "We trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi that culprits would be caught and eliminated. They were eliminated; it is for good. I thank the army," she said.
The elimination of Suleiman and his cadres was under the ambit of Operation Mahadev, which has been focusing on terror infrastructure throughout Jammu and Kashmir. The rapid response demonstrates the sustained zeal of the Indian security forces in deactivating cross-border terrorism.
The operation is also a part of the larger ongoing operation, Operation Sindoor, wherein the Centre has held that the armed forces are in a state of alert at all times.
This move not only does justice to the families of the victims but also strengthens India's message against terrorism. With political support and military acumen, the Indian state proceeds with its crackdown on terror outfits operating with help from across the border.
