Dachigam Op: Weapons Recovered From Slain Terrorists Being Analysed To Establish Pahalgam Link

Last Updated:July 29, 2025, 10:56 IST

Weapons recovered from the three terrorists killed in Monday's Srinagar encounter were being examined to verify links to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

Srinagar: Security personnel keep vigil after three terrorists were killed in an encounter near Dachigam (Photo: PTI)

The weapons recovered from the three terrorists killed in an encounter in Srinagar on Monday were sent for analysis to establish their direct involvement in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

According to the details, the forensic teams were analysing the bullets and cartridges, and a multi-faceted approach was being adopted to identify if the terrorists were linked to the Pahalgam attack.

One M4 carbine rifle, two AK rifles and other munitions were recovered from the site of the encounter.

In a major breakthrough, the Army’s elite para commandos on Monday gunned down the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack along with two of his associates in an encounter in a forest area on Srinagar’s outskirts in Kashmir.

News agency PTI quoted officials as saying that Sulieman alias Asif, who is believed to be the mastermind of the April 22 attack, was killed after the security forces launched a surprise action.

The operation was codenamed ‘Operation Mahadev’, and was carried out following a technical signal indicating the use of a satellite phone that was used by the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack.

The other terrorists killed in the action were identified as Jibran, who was allegedly involved in the Sonamarg tunnel attack last year, and Hamza Afghani.

Additional reinforcements of the Army and other security forces were rushed as intelligence inputs suggested the presence of another group of terrorists in the area, the officials said.

The bodies of the slain terrorists were later handed over to the local police, which helped in the identification process, for carrying out legal formalities and final rites as per the standard operating procedure.

PTI quoted officials as saying that at around 1130 hours, one party comprising personnel from 24 Rashtriya Rifles and 4 Para unit had detected the group of three terrorists.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) VK Birdi said it was a long-drawn operation which had been ongoing.

Following the encounter in Srinagar’s Dachigam, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said kinetic operations have been going on for the past several months in the region to eliminate terrorists.

“This is true. Three Pakistani terrorists have been eliminated in the encounter near Dachigam. It is not appropriate for me to give more details; the police will issue a full statement on it," Sinha told reporters at an event in Jammu.

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Ieshan Wani

Ieshan Wani, senior correspondent, CNN-News18, has over eight years of experience in reporting, producing and editing news for broadcast, digital and print platforms. His reporting has mostly been from Kashmir....Read More

Ieshan Wani, senior correspondent, CNN-News18, has over eight years of experience in reporting, producing and editing news for broadcast, digital and print platforms. His reporting has mostly been from Kashmir....

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