Operation Mahadev: 3 Terrorists Killed in Srinagar Encounter 3 Months After Pahalgam Attack

Around 3 months after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, the security forces neutralised 3 terrorists during an encounter in Srinagar. Indian Army launched its Operation Mahadev acting on intelligence, which led to an intense firefight between the forces and terrorists in Harwan near Dachigam in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation Continues,” Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Army posted on X. However, the identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists haven’t been made public yet, but reports suggest that these terrorists were likely part of the group behind the April 22 attack in Pahalgam.

It is believed that the terrorists killed in the encounter were affiliated with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

What is Indian Army’s Operation Mahadev?

In the early hours of Monday (July 28), Indian Army and J&K Police launched a joined operation codenamed ‘Op Mahadev’, acting on intelligence inputs suggesting terrorist presence in the Mulnar area of Harwan. “OP MAHADEV – Contact established in General Area Lidwas. Operation in progress,” the Army’s Chinar Corps posted on X.

3 months have passed but the memories of the gruesome April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam is still fresh in every Indian’s memory. Terrorists had gunned down 25 tourists and a local resident in cold blood in Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam.

Who was behind the deadly Pahalgam attack on April 22?

Following the attack, an armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF) had claimed responsibility for the same. For the uninitiated, TRF is a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist group and a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Earlier this month, the US designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Secretary of State Mark Rubio announced that it would face financial sanctions, restricting its access to support from individuals and entities under American jurisdiction.

“TRF, a Lashkar-e-Taiba front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians,” the State Department said. “TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.”

Did forces kill TRF terrorists during Operation Mahadev?

There is no official word on this from the army but if confirmed, Operation Mahadev would mark a big breakthrough for security forces. The operation was kicked off after our security forces launched a major hunt to track down the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack. Inputs directed them towards the Dachigam area, located around 20 km from Srinagar.