In a major breakthrough for security forces, Suleiman Shah—the man suspected of masterminding the deadly Pahalgam attack—was killed along with two other terrorists during Operation Mahadev near Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The joint operation, led by the Indian Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police, and CRPF, followed a two-week-long manhunt after the tragic events of April 22, 2025, when 26 tourists lost their lives in Pahalgam.
Officials reported that Shah aka Hashim Musa was a key commander for Lashkar-e-Taiba from Pakistan and had been identified as a main planner of the Pahalgam massacre based on intelligence and eyewitness accounts. The three militants were surrounded and neutralized in the Lidwas forest area, where security forces recovered weapons, including an M4 carbine, AK-47s, and grenades, from their hideout.
Though sources are confident these were the attackers responsible for the Pahalgam tragedy, authorities are conducting formal identification to confirm their involvement. The elimination of Suleiman Shah is seen as a big setback for the Lashkar-e-Taiba network and a significant step forward in bringing peace to the region. Security agencies continue their efforts to track down any remaining individuals involved in the attack.
