Srinagar : Over three months after the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 dead, three suspected Pakistani terrorists behind the carnage have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar, sources said. Several grenades and ration were recovered from the hideout of the terrorists.
The encounter broke out in the general area of Lidwas in Srinagar near Mount Mahadev after the armed forces received information of the presence of three foreign terrorists. A joint exercise, named Operation Mahadev, was launched by the Army, J&K Police and the CRPF. The name Mahadev was likely given as the operation took place between Zabarwan and Mahadev ridges, sources said. Sources said a suspicious communication was tracked by the Army earlier in July in the jungle of Dachigam, following which the operation was launched.
This information was corroborated by local nomads, who also gave input on the terrorists. After that, several Army teams were dispatched to the area. On Monday, around 11.30 am, one such team, comprising 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 PARA, detected the three terrorists and neutralised them by maintaining an element of surprise and by superior tactical manoeuvre. Sources said the process of identifying the bodies is underway. Following this, the terrorists’ connection to the Pahalgam attack will be established or ruled out.
Last month, the NIA, which is leading the investigation, arrested two locals – Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad – for allegedly harbouring the attackers. The development comes on a day when the Parliament is to discuss the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the massacre. The opposition has repeatedly cornered the government over its inability to nab the terrorists behind the attack.
The carnage in Baisaran Valley, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Kashmir in recent years, was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack happened when unsuspecting tourists were picnicking at the location, often dubbed as “mini Switzerland”. Eyewitnesses and investigators said the terrorists targeted only men, and executed those identified as non-Muslims.
Read Also : Fiery Op Sindoor Debate In Parliament Today, Shashi Tharoor Unlikely To Speak During Debate In Lok Sabha