A satellite phone signal detected on Saturday triggered the final phase of a 17-day-long manhunt. Security forces had first picked up the same signal on July 11 in Anantnag’s Baisaran area. That initial intercept connected the device to the terrorists behind the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed.
The second signal appeared near Mahadev Peak, deep inside Dachigam forest on Srinagar’s outskirts. The Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched Operation Mahadev based on this location. The forest lies 50 km from the attack site through direct terrain, with the Aru Wildlife Sanctuary in between. Drone surveillance and radio-frequency tracking narrowed down the source to Mulnar Peak.
Local nomads alerted the Army to movement near Lidwas Meadow. Security teams moved overnight to seal the area. At 11:30 am on Monday, they located a makeshift tent where three terrorists were resting. The encounter lasted nearly three hours. All three men – Suleiman Shah, Hamza Afghani, and Jibran, were killed.
The terrorists used a communication device designed to bypass cellular networks. It latched onto mobile signals to relay encrypted messages to Pakistan-based handlers. This helped avoid detection but emitted traceable radio frequencies. Intercepts plotted on digital maps helped security forces track movement patterns through dense, high-altitude forest.
The operation concluded with the seizure of arms, explosives, and the communication equipment. Forensic teams matched cartridges found on site with those used in the April 22 attack. Two detained locals who had harbored the terrorists earlier confirmed their identities. Four eyewitnesses from Pahalgam also verified them.
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Security forces had searched dozens of hideouts across multiple ridgelines since April. The final breakthrough came through a mix of electronic surveillance, drone tracking, local intelligence, and persistent ground action. Operation Mahadev successfully eliminated the attackers without civilian or troop casualties.
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