India killed 3 militants who killed 26 tourists in Pahelgam: Central government claims

Indian security forces have killed three militants involved in the April 26 shooting of 26 civilians in Kashmir’s Pahelgam, Home Minister Amit Shah claimed in Parliament on Monday (July 28) local time. He said the three were shot dead in the Dachigam hill forest reserve near Srinagar in an operation called ‘Operation Mahadev’. Shah claimed that the deceased were Pakistani citizens – although Islamabad denied the allegation. Fears of future attacks led to brief military clashes between India and Pakistan on the border for several days. Many people were killed in what became the bloodiest conflict between the two countries in recent decades, and a ceasefire was later declared under the mediation of US President Donald Trump.

Horrific attack and investigation

The Pahelgam shooting on April 22 killed 26 people, most of whom were Hindu tourists. They were killed in cold blood in front of their families. A local Muslim horseman, who tried to help, was also shot dead. Investigation revealed that the three were sheltered by two locals before the attack. After their arrest, it was said that all three militants were members of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Shah’s statement in Parliament

Confirming the identities of the deceased on Monday (July 28) local time, Shah said that their names were Suleman Shah, Afghan and Jibran. Shah said, “An American ‘M-9’ rifle and two Kalashnikovs (AK-47) were recovered from them. Their ballistic tests were done at the Central Forensic Lab in Chandigarh and it was confirmed that these were the ones used to kill innocent citizens.” Home Minister Amit Shah, showing the report paper in Parliament, said, “Six scientists have cross-checked. They told me in the video call that these bullets were 100% certain to have been used in the attack. However, the operation has not yet been independently verified and Pakistan has not commented on the Indian government’s claim.

Criticism and questions

Opposition Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned why the attackers were found so late after 100 days. He said, “The Home Minister must take personal responsibility for this attack.” Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi questioned, “Why were there no security personnel present at the time of the attack?” She said, “Isn’t the security of citizens the responsibility of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Defense Minister?” In response, Shah said that the investigation was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) immediately after the attack and strict surveillance was put in place at the border to prevent anyone from fleeing the country. However, many in the opposition are not satisfied with the government’s response and are alleging “serious deficiencies” in the security arrangements in Kashmir.