In a significant counter-terror breakthrough, Indian security forces on Monday neutralized three high-value terrorists, including the alleged mastermind of the deadly Pahalgam attack, Suleiman Shah alias Hashim Musa, in a meticulously planned operation codenamed Operation Mahadev in the Harwan area of Srinagar.
Suleiman Shah, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative and former commando of Pakistan Army’s elite Special Service Group (SSG), was gunned down in a fierce gunfight deep inside the forested foothills of Mahadev Peak. Intelligence sources confirmed that Shah later joined the UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed’s LeT outfit, where he played a key role in coordinating cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Operation Mahadev was named after the towering Mahadev Peak, situated in the outskirts of Srinagar. Security forces had been tracking the movements of LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives in the region for nearly two weeks, relying on a mix of physical reconnaissance and advanced electronic surveillance.
According to top security sources, the first major breakthrough came in early July, when the Indian Army intercepted encrypted communication using a rare Chinese ultra-high frequency radio system — a method known to be employed by LeT for covert messaging. The WY SMS system, which had first been identified in 2016, resurfaced during this surveillance phase, triggering alarms among intelligence agencies.
The suspicious signals were traced to the Dachigam forests near the Mulnar area of Harwan — a high-altitude zone with dense forest cover and known for guerrilla activity. Given the rugged terrain and the possibility of ambushes, the operation was planned with utmost precision and involved elite units from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and paramilitary forces.
As the security forces launched the final assault, a heavy exchange of fire broke out with the holed-up terrorists. All three militants, including Suleiman Shah, were killed in the firefight. The operation lasted several hours and concluded with the successful elimination of the cell believed to be planning further attacks in the region.
NDTV accessed exclusive visuals of the targeted hideout, revealing an extensive cache of weapons. Among the seized items were carbine rifles, AK-47s, 17 rifle grenades, tactical gear, and encrypted communication devices. The location of the hideout — deep in the jungle — and the type of equipment recovered point to a sophisticated terror module capable of carrying out large-scale strikes.
Officials described all three slain militants as foreign nationals and high-value targets, underscoring the international dimensions of the threat. The elimination of Suleiman Shah is being hailed as a strategic victory in India’s fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people earlier this year.
The intelligence community believes the terrorists were actively preparing for a major strike in the Kashmir Valley. “This operation has not only neutralized a key planner of the Pahalgam attack but has also dismantled a major LeT cell that posed an imminent threat,” said a senior Army official involved in the mission.
While the main targets have been eliminated, security forces remain on high alert. Reinforcements have been rushed to the area, and a combing operation is underway to ensure that no other operatives are hiding in the nearby forest tracts.
As India continues to face cross-border terror threats, operations like Mahadev serve as a reminder of the complex and dangerous terrain in which its security forces operate — and their unwavering resolve to protect national sovereignty.
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