Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Lok Sabha during the Operation Sindoor debate, confirmed that three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were directly involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Baisaran Valley, which claimed 26 innocent lives.

The terrorists—identified as Suleiman (aka Faizal), Afghan, and Gibran—were high-profile militants, with Suleiman being a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and Afghan and Gibran classified as "A-listed" terrorists.

Amit Shah detailed that following the Pahalgam attack, security forces launched a thorough manhunt to ensure the terrorists could not escape to Pakistan. On May 22, intelligence sources indicated the terrorists’ presence near Srinagar in Dachigam.

Consequently, on July 22, a joint operation involving the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police was executed, resulting in the elimination of the three terrorists. Their bodies were brought to Srinagar where individuals previously detained for sheltering them identified the deceased militants. These two local residents were also arrested as collaborators.

To irrefutably link the killed terrorists to the Pahalgam massacre, Mr. Shah described multiple layers of evidence confirming their involvement. Forensic ballistic tests were a crucial element: the rifles recovered from the terrorists—two AK-47 variants and one M9, all foreign-made—were flown to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh. Experts fired these weapons and matched the bullet casings from the test fire with the shells collected at the Pahalgam crime scene.

The report, verified by six scientists in a video call, confirmed a 100% match, conclusively proving that these rifles were used to kill civilians in the attack.

Home Minister Shah also highlighted the terrorists’ Pakistani origin. Besides the identification of two terrorists with Pakistan voter identity numbers, items found on the terrorists included chocolates manufactured in Pakistan.

These pieces of evidence were presented to counter claims and questions raised by political opponents, specifically former Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who had challenged the government's assertion about the terrorists’ Pakistani origin. Shah accused him of indirectly shielding Pakistan and refuted the opposition's scepticism by showcasing this conclusive proof.

Further, Shah emphasised that the government's operations—Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev—had effectively dismantled the terror network responsible for the Pahalgam attack. Operation Sindoor, executed on May 7, targeted terrorist camps in Pakistan, eliminating masterminds of terror, while Operation Mahadev successfully neutralized the operational terrorists on Indian soil.

Criticising opposition parties, Mr. Shah expressed disappointment at their reaction, noting that instead of celebrating the elimination of terrorists, some appeared displeased, revealing politically motivated stands even in the face of national security matters.

In summary, the Home Minister offered a detailed account of:

The joint counter-terror operation that killed the three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack.
Concrete forensic and human intelligence that linked these terrorists conclusively to the massacre.
Tangible proof of their Pakistani identity, including voter IDs and Pakistani-made chocolates found on them.
The broader strategic efforts by the government to eliminate terrorist threats at home and across the border.

This comprehensive evidence and successful military operation underline the government's commitment to combating terrorism and ensuring justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack.

Based On A NDTV Report