Pahalgam attack mastermind Suleiman Shah killed in fierce encounter

Suleiman Shah alias Asif, the alleged mastermind behind the recent Pahalgam terror attack, was killed on Monday during a fierce encounter with security forces in Srinagar. Two of his associates—Jibran and Hamza Afghani—were also gunned down in the joint operation codenamed Operation Mahadev.

According to a PTI report, the gunfight erupted around 11 a.m. in the Lidwas area near Dara, close to the Dachigam National Park. Acting on a credible tip-off about the presence of foreign terrorists, Indian Army units and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a coordinated operation.

The operation was named Operation Mahadev after the Mahadev and Zabarwan ridges, where the gunbattle took place. Among those neutralized, Jibran was reportedly involved in last year’s Sonamarg Tunnel attack, while Hamza Afghani was identified as a foreign militant.

The Army's Chinar Corps confirmed the success of the operation in a social media post, stating: “OP MAHADEV - Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress.” Later, they announced all three terrorists had been neutralized following an intense firefight, with additional reinforcements and surveillance deployed for support.

This marks a significant breakthrough in the crackdown on cross-border terrorism in the Kashmir Valley.