In a significant update on national security, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday informed the Parliament that three militants killed during a joint security operation in Dachigam on July 28 were directly linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The confirmation, Shah said, came after forensic analysis matched ammunition and ballistic evidence from both incidents.
Long Surveillance and Precision Strike
According to Shah, intelligence agencies first picked up leads on May 22 about the presence of militants hiding in the Dachigam area. Over the next two months, using modern surveillance tools and multiple intelligence sources, the security forces tracked their movement closely. By July 22, the agencies had pinpointed the exact location of the suspects.
Subsequently, on July 28, security forces including the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu & Kashmir Police launched a coordinated assault under “Operation Mahadev,” neutralizing all three militants. Their bodies were brought to Srinagar, where individuals who had allegedly aided them in terms of shelter and supplies confirmed their identities.
Ballistic Match Confirms Role in Pahalgam Attack
Home Minister Shah detailed the forensic process that led to the breakthrough. After the Pahalgam attack, bullet casings and ammunition recovered from the site had been sent to a laboratory in Chandigarh for analysis. On Monday, shortly after the Dachigam operation, weapons seized from the encounter—including an American M-9 rifle and two AK-47s—were sent for comparison.
“The ballistic match was 100%,” Shah said. “At 4:46 AM, I received a video call with the confirmation. The bullets recovered in Pahalgam were conclusively fired from the rifles recovered in Dachigam.”
Senior forensic scientists verified the evidence, leaving “no room for doubt,” according to the Home Minister.
Operation Began Immediately After Pahalgam Attack
Shah disclosed that preparations for the operation began the very next day after the Pahalgam incident. “I reached Srinagar at 5:30 AM on April 23. A high-level meeting was held, and the area was sealed off to ensure there was no escape route for the militants,” he told Parliament.
Pakistani Links Revealed
In another startling revelation, Shah stated that two of the militants were found carrying Pakistani voter ID cards. Additionally, chocolate bars manufactured in Pakistan were recovered from the site, indicating clear cross-border links.
The Centre emphasized that this operation was not just a tactical success, but a strong message against terror networks operating across the border. Shah praised the seamless coordination between various intelligence and security agencies, calling the operation a “model example of modern counter-terrorism strategy.”
The confirmation of the militants’ involvement in the Pahalgam attack, based on scientific evidence, marks a major success for India’s internal security apparatus and sends a strong signal to terror outfits operating in the region.
