Indian security authorities initiated Operation Mahadev in late July 2025 to find the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror assault on April 22, which killed 26 civilians.
The CRPF, Jammu & Kashmir Police, and Indian Army Para Commandos collaborated closely on the operation.
The mission took place near Dachigam forest, at the foothills of Mahadev Peak—hence the codename “Operation Mahadev”
During the incident, three terrorists known as Suleiman (also known as Faizal or Hashim Musa), "Afghan" (Hamza Afghani), and Jibran were eliminated.
Suleiman Shah, a leading Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and the mastermind of the Pahalgam massacre, was confirmed to be an A-category terrorist, as were Jibran and Afghan.
Prior to the operation, the terrorists were located after weeks of encrypted intercepts and electronic surveillance.
Local inmates, who had previously supplied food and shelter at a hut close to the Baisaran Valley, helped to confirm the identities.
Pakistani voter ID cards and even Pakistani-made chocolates discovered on the terrorists who were killed served as tangible evidence of their nationality and place of origin.
Three foreign-made firearms were discovered with the terrorists: an American M4 Commando carbine and two AK-47 derivatives (a Romanian Model 90 and a hybrid Russian AKM).
The operation demonstrates India's transition to proactive counterterrorism through cross-agency coordination, forensics, and monitoring.
Science is increasingly employed both politically and operationally to refute accusations, as demonstrated by the use of ballistic evidence in Parliament.
The operation’s swift justice brings relief to victims' families and boosts public trust in state response.
Amit Shah contrasted Operation Sindoor’s focus on plotters with Operation Mahadev’s elimination of the attackers.
Farooq Abdullah and other political figures hailed the counterterrorism operation as sending a clear message that "terror can never succeed."