3 Years of Infiltration, Dachigam Hideout: What the Pahalgam Terror Trio Did Before Meeting Their End

National News: Fresh details are emerging every day about the three Pakistani terrorists killed near Mahadev Peak in Srinagar. These were the same militants who brutally murdered 25 tourists and a local resident in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley on April 22. Investigations reveal that these terrorists had been trained in Pakistan to survive for long periods in dense forests, making it extremely difficult for security forces to track them down. It ultimately took over three months of relentless operations to eliminate them.

To cover its tracks, Pakistani agencies disguised their links by introducing them as members of The Resistance Force (TRF)—a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). But after the Pahalgam massacre, the United States first designated TRF a global terrorist organization, followed by the United Nations, which confirmed TRF’s direct role in the bloodshed.

Operation Mahadev: The End of a Deadly Trail

The three terrorists were neutralized during ‘Operation Mahadev,’ launched by security forces. Before launching the final assault, forces flooded the infiltration tunnels used by the militants to cross into India, ensuring they couldn’t escape back to Pakistan. With assistance from local nomads and intelligence sources, the Army, CRPF, and Jammu & Kashmir Police tracked their hideout deep inside the Dachigam forests and executed the mission with precision.

Three Years of Hiding and Plotting

According to The Hindu, the three slain terrorists—Suleman, alias Faizal Jatt; Hamza Afghani; and Jibran—infiltrated India nearly three years ago. During these years, they:

• Stayed hidden in remote valleys and dense forests
• Stockpiled weapons and ammunition
• Built a covert support network to plan future attacks

Division Into Two Terror Cells

By 2023, the terrorists had split into two groups:

• Suleman led the first cell
• The second was commanded by another Pakistani militant named Musa

An official source confirmed, “New Lashkar infiltrators were attached to Suleman, and they became active across the Kashmir Valley.”

The Jammu Connection

Suleman’s group was not only responsible for the Pahalgam massacre but also for a deadly attack at a construction site in Gagangir Valley (Ganderbal district), killing seven workers. From 2021 onwards, security agencies suspect that 20–25 Lashkar terrorists infiltrated into Jammu & Kashmir.

Some cells have been operating in the Jammu region—an area that had largely been free from major terror incidents for nearly two decades.

Hiding in Dachigam: How the Trail Ended

Security agencies first picked up clues about the militants’ presence on May 22. They intercepted ultra-high-frequency wireless communications, though decoding them was challenging. Signals consistently pointed to the Dachigam forests, just a few kilometers outside Srinagar. By July 22, the Army pinpointed their location and sealed all exit routes.

The Dachigam range offers two natural escape corridors:

1. Towards Pahalgam in Anantnag district
2. Towards Ganderbal district

To prevent another disappearance, the operation intensified after July 11, when their exact position near Baisaran Valley was confirmed.

A powerful message

The three Pakistani terrorists killed near Mahadev Peak had been hiding in India for three years, quietly preparing for mass killings. Their extensive network and survival tactics forced the Army, CRPF, and Jammu & Kashmir Police to conduct months-long coordinated operations to end their trail of terror. Operation Mahadev was more than an elimination mission—it was a powerful message: India will not tolerate terror or those who plot bloodshed on its soil.