Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised the Indian military for their swift action in Operation Mahadev, resulting in the killing of three terrorists in an encounter in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister praised the seriousness with which Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Parliament of the government's intent to protect the country.
In his important address in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah Ji had given thorough details on Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev. These operations have been instrumental in clearing the cowardly terrorists from the battle against terrorism," PM Modi tweeted.
In a wide-ranging speech of more than an hour in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Shah disclosed that three terrorists had been eliminated by Indian troops, including one who was directly connected to the Pahalgam attack that jolted the country in May. The news was made by the members of Parliament as they met to debate India's counter-terror efforts across the border.
"I wish to inform the House and nation that the people who killed our citizens in Baisaran Valley (in Pahalgam). all three terrorists have been eliminated," Shah said.
The collaborative operation, carried out by the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police, was crucial in eliminating the attackers involved in the attack. "In joint Operation Mahadev, the Indian Army, CRPF, and J&K Police have neutralized three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack," Shah stated.
The slain in the operation were named as Suleman alias Faizal, Afghan, and Jibran. Shah said all three were top commanders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit. "Suleman was an A-category commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Afghan was an A-category Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist. And Jibran was also an A-grade terrorist. All three terrorists who killed our citizens in the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam have been eliminated," he told the House.
Giving insight into the overall investigation after the Pahalgam attack, the Home Minister informed that officials interacted with a host of people to gather intelligence. "During the investigation, the team interacted with the relatives of the victims, the tourists, pony operators, photographers, and residents," Shah elaborated.
He explained how in a period of three hours, 1,055 individuals had been interviewed, the basis on which the agencies had formed composite sketches. During the investigation, Bashir and Parvez had been identified as the ones who had given refuge to the terrorists, their names cropping up on June 22.
Shah also disclosed that the people who had been providing food and logistical aid to the terrorists were already arrested before the encounter. "All three terrorists - Suleman, Afghan and Jibran were killed in yesterday's operation. Those people who used to provide food to them were arrested earlier. Once the bodies of these terrorists reached Srinagar, they were identified by those people who were kept under detention by our agencies," he mentioned.
The rapid response and cooperation among national security organizations have been hailed as a key success in the ongoing struggle against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
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