Mastermind Behind Pahalgam Attack Killed in Srinagar Gun Battle

By the New Delhi Chronicle Staff | July 28, 2025

Srinagar – A major breakthrough in counter-terror operations was achieved on Monday when security forces neutralised Suleiman Shah, also known by the alias Asif, who was believed to be the key figure behind the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

Shah was among three militants killed in a high-intensity encounter that unfolded in the Lidwas area, near the Dara locality on the outskirts of Srinagar. The joint operation, code-named Operation Mahadev, was conducted by personnel from the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police, following specific intelligence about militant movement in the area.

The confrontation began around 11 a.m., close to the ecologically sensitive Dachigam National Park, situated between the Zabarwan and Mahadev mountain ranges—an area that inspired the operation’s name.

Two other militants who were killed during the exchange of fire have been identified as Jibran and Hamza Afghani. Jibran was reportedly linked to an attack at the Sonamarg Tunnel last year, while Hamza was believed to be of foreign origin.

Senior security officials described the operation as a “significant success” in the ongoing crackdown on cross-border militancy in the Kashmir Valley. The identities of the slain militants are being further verified, and search operations in the surrounding terrain are ongoing.