The meticulous operation to neutralise Hashim Musa, also known as Suleiman Shah, marks a significant counter-terror triumph for Indian security forces. Suleiman Shah, previously a commando in the Pakistan Army’s elite Special Service Group (SSG), defected to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) under the leadership of UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, and became infamous for spearheading several brutal attacks in India.

Most notably, he orchestrated the mass killing of 26 civilians in Baisaran valley, Pahalgam, on April 22, 2025. This atrocity galvanised a rigorous three-month nationwide manhunt, culminating with a high-stakes encounter near Srinagar in which Shah and two other terrorists were killed.

After infiltrating into India in September 2023, Shah rapidly escalated terror activity in South Kashmir. He masterminded at least six attacks, including a deadly raid in October 2024 on a laborers’ camp building a tunnel, which claimed the lives of seven civilians.

Another violent episode under his command occurred in Baramulla, resulting in the deaths of four security personnel. Authorities had labelled Shah a “high-value” target and announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for information leading to his capture or death. His elimination during “Operation Mahadev”—a joint effort by the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police—is therefore considered a watershed moment.

The encounter yielded substantial intelligence and weaponry, with security forces recovering multiple firearms, rifle grenades, and advanced Chinese encrypted radios used for clandestine communication—tools indicative of a larger, ongoing terror plot.

Operation Mahadev was prompted by real-time intelligence inputs, including the interception of active Chinese-made radio transmissions employed by LeT for encrypted messaging. Intense surveillance and combing operations in the Mulnar area of Harwan led to Shah’s location and subsequent death. All neutralised militants in the operation were foreign nationals and considered key assets for cross-border terror organisations.

Following the Pahalgam massacre, India executed a targeted retaliatory campaign—Operation Sindoor—on the night of May 6-7, 2025. This precision strike at 1 am targeted nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

These locations, including the notorious LeT headquarters in Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammed’s stronghold in Bahalwapur, were strategic operational hubs long associated with orchestrating attacks against India.

The operation’s codename, ‘Sindoor,’ paid homage to the women widowed by the Pahalgam tragedy, reinforcing its symbolic and tactical significance. India’s strike aimed to dismantle logistics, operational, and training infrastructure vital to LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, and affiliated networks—disrupting not only their capacity for near-term action but also their foundational ability to conduct future operations.

The death of Hashim Musa alias Suleiman Shah stands as a validation of intensive intelligence-driven implementation by Indian security agencies. This coordinated approach—combining physical tracking, technological surveillance, and strategic retaliation—illustrates the evolving sophistication of counter-terror operations in Kashmir and reaffirms India’s commitment to combating cross-border militancy.

Based On A NDTV Report