Indian Army Kills Pahalgam Terror Suspects

The operation took place in the Lidwas area of Dara in Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district. Based on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists, a joint team of the Army, J&K Police, and CRPF launched a search operation early Monday morning.

The Indian Army has claimed to have killed three suspected terrorists in an encounter in the Lidwas area of Kashmir’s Srinagar. According to Indian media, the terrorists are believed to be behind the deadly Pahalgam attack.

Operation Mahadev, based on intelligence information, was carried out in the Lidwas area of Dara in Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district. Acting on inputs about the presence of foreign terrorists, a joint team of the Army, J&K Police, and CRPF launched a search operation early Monday morning.

Operation Mahadev was launched following the detection of suspicious movement in the upper reaches of the Lidwas area. The Indian Army later confirmed that contact had been established with the terrorists.

In a post on X, the Army’s Chinar Corps stated: “Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress.” The encounter resulted in the elimination of all three suspects. The operation is now in its final stages.

The coordinated, intelligence-driven mission was led by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Indian media reports confirmed that the operation targeted three foreign militants, identified through suspicious communications intercepted in the Dachigam forest area two days prior.

Acting on this intelligence, security forces launched a search in the Lidwas region. A gunfight ensued once contact was established. The Army quickly cordoned off the area and engaged the terrorists in a brief but decisive firefight. All three militants were neutralised, according to media sources.

Operation Mahadev marks a significant development in the wake of the April Pahalgam terror attack—one of the deadliest in recent memory in Jammu and Kashmir—which claimed the lives of 26 people, including civilians and off-duty personnel, sparking nationwide outrage.

Mount Mahadev and its surrounding terrain have long posed logistical and surveillance challenges due to dense forests and difficult access routes. The jungle terrain of Dachigam, where the intercepted communications originated, lies close to known infiltration corridors and has been the site of previous anti-terror operations.

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