Union Home Minister Amit Shah said all three Pahalgam killers have been gunned down
- Three terrorists from the April 22 Pahalgam attack were killed in Operation Mahadev in J&K
- The operation involved the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police forces
- Terrorists killed were identified as Suleiman, Afghan and Gibran
Three terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack were gunned down by security forces in Operation Mahadev in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed in Parliament this morning.
Addressing the Lok Sabha during the Operation Sindoor debate, Mr Shah said three terrorists identified as Suleiman, Afghani and Gibran, were killed in a joint operation of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police yesterday. Suleiman, he said, was a top Lashkar commander and security agencies have evidence of his involvement in the Pahalgam attack that left 26 innocents dead. Afghan and Gibran, too, were "A-listed" terrorists.
"I want to tell the Parliament and the nation that those who murdered our citizens in Baisaran Valley, these three were among them and they were killed," he said, congratulating the security personnel on their success in Operation Mahadev.
The Home Minister said he landed in Srinagar hours after the terror attack in Pahalgam and chaired a security meeting that night and the next morning. "We ensured that the terrorists could not escape to Pakistan," he said.
Mr Shah said that on May 22, the Intelligence Bureau received human intel about the presence of terrorists in Dachigam (near Srinagar). IB and the Army, he said, used specialised equipment to try and intercept terrorists' communication. On July 22, after the presence of terrorists in the area was confirmed, the joint operation was launched, he said. "We killed three terrorists who killed our innocent civilians," Mr Shah said.
Explaining how the government confirmed that these three terrorists were involved in the Pahalgam attack, the Home Minister said, "NIA earlier arrested those who sheltered these terrorists. When their bodies were brought to Srinagar, we got them to identify the bodies."
For further confirmation, he said, forensic reports of bullet shells recovered from the Pahalgam attack site were used. "After these terrorists were killed, their rifles were seized. One was an M9, the other two were AK-47s. We got these rifles flown to Chandigarh central FSL (forensic science laboratory) on a special plane. We generated empty bullet shells by firing these rifles and then matched them with those found in Pahalgam. It was then confirmed that these three rifles were used to murder our innocent civilians," Mr Shah said, as BJP MPs cheered. "There is no room for doubt. I am holding the ballistic report, six scientists have cross-checked it and confirmed to me over video call that the bullets fired at Pahalgam and the bullets fired from these guns are a 100 per cent match," he said.
The Home Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi eliminated the masters of terror during Operation Sindoor. "And now, the Army and CRPF finished those terrorists too," he said.
Targeting the Opposition, Mr Shah said he had expected that the news of the Pahalgam killers' elimination would be celebrated on both sides of the political aisle. "But their faces have blackened. What kind of politics is this? Terrorists are dead, you are not happy?"
Three terrorists were involved in the terror attack, Mr Shah said, adding that two local residents who sheltered them have been arrested. "I was pained when former Home Minister (P) Chidambaram ji questioned what the proof is that the terrorists came from Pakistan. What does he want to say? What will he gain by shielding Pakistan? I want to tell Chidambaram ji, we have proof that all three were Pakistanis. We have the Pakistan voter numbers for two of the three. We found chocolates manufactured in Pakistan on them. In front of the whole world, this country's former Home Minister is giving a clean chit to Pakistan," Mr Shah said, triggering loud protests from the Opposition benches.
Later, in a release, the army listed out other items recovered from the terrorists:
- AK 47 empty Magazine - 9 (1 damaged)
- M4 live rounds - 371
- Empty Cartridge - 7
- Hand Grenade - 3
- Pouch - 3
- Solar Charger 28 Watt - 1
- Bags - 2
- GoPro Harness - 1
- Mobile Charger - 3
- Gauze - 1
- Arms Cleaning brush - 3
- Paracetamol 650 - 22 tablets
- Nexopil DSR - 30 Tablets
- Needle along with thread Roll - 1
- Cigrate Lighter - 4
- Power Bank (Swiss Military written on it) - 1
- Aadhaar Card (Mohammad Ashraf Gojar C/o Mohammad Sadiq R/o Akhal Kangan Ganderbal)
- Aadhaar Card (Ghulam Mohidin R/o Check Dara Srinagar)
- Nail Cutter - 1
- Indian Currency - Rs 3,000
