SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday revealed the identities of the three militants killed in Operation Mahadev as Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran, members of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He confirmed they were directly involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
Addressing the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session, Shah said, “All three militants namely Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran were eliminated in yesterday’s joint operation.”
“In a coordinated effort, the Indian Army, CRPF, and JK Police successfully neutralised the militants responsible for the Pahalgam attack,” Shah said. He described the operation as a significant breakthrough in the investigation.
He informed Parliament that individuals who had supplied food to the militants had been detained earlier. “Once the bodies were brought to Srinagar, they were identified by those detained by our agencies,” Shah said, adding that the identification was confirmed by four individuals, including two arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that the government has concrete evidence linking the Pahalgam terrorists to Pakistan. “We have proof, two of the terrorists were carrying Pakistani voter ID cards, and even the chocolates they had on them were made in Pakistan,” he stated. “When the bodies of the terrorists were brought to Srinagar, they were identified by those in custody,” Shah said.
Security forces recovered weapons including M-9 and AK-47 rifles from the slain militants. These arms were flown to Chandigarh on Monday night for forensic analysis at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory.
Expressing deep condolences to the families of those killed in the Pahalgam attack and in cross-border shelling, Shah noted that Pakistani firing had resulted in civilian casualties and damage to religious sites, including gurdwaras and temples.
