From Gagangir to Pahalgam: How Operation Mahadev Ended

May 25, 2026

Operation Mahadev,

elimination of three

Lashkar-e-Tayiba

terrorists from

Pakistan, did not just serve

justice to the victims of the

Pahalgam attack but also to

those who lost their lives in

the October 20, 2024, Gagangir

terror attack. While probing the

Pahalgam attack, the National

Investigation Agency (NIA) was

able to establish a link to the

Gagangir attack in which seven

lives were lost.

The ballistic analysis revealed

that the cartridges, which were

recovered from Gangangir and

Pahalgam, were fired from

the same M-4 carbine. This

weapon was recovered by the

security forces who carried out

Operation Mahadev.

On October 20, 2024, Pakistani

terrorists attacked an APCO

Infratech worker’s camp at

the strategic Z-Morh tunnel in

Gagangir, Jammu and Kashmir.

The terrorists opened fire inside

the dining mess, killing seven

workers, including a doctor.

Investigations revealed that the

same module carried out both

attacks. It was the same set

of planners and handlers who

guided both attacks, the NIA

learnt during the investigation.

The Lashkar-e-Tayiba’s proxy,

The Resistance Front, first

claimed responsibility for

the Pahalgam attack and

then decided to deny it. This

was done as the outfit feared

a strong Indian response.

Despite withdrawing the claim,

From Gagangir to Pahalgam: How

Operation Mahadev Ended

India carried out Operation

Sindoor, which resulted in

the devastation of the terror

infrastructure.

An official explained that the

direct Pakistani hand was

already established by them,

and this time around, the

punishment was severe. The

NIA also learnt that Faisal Jutt

The NIA also learnt

that Faisal Jutt alias

Suleman, an accused

in the Gagangir attack,

had also taken part in

the Pahalgam attack.

part in the Pahalgam attack. He,

along with two of his associates,

Habeeb Tahir alias Chottu and

Hamza Afghani, were killed on

July 28, 2025, when the security

agencies executed Operation

Mahadev.

Following the operation, the

security forces recovered

two AK-47 rifles and one M-4

carbine from the terrorists.

The NIA probe was able to

pinpoint Pakistan’s direct role

in both these attacks based

on digital forensic evidence,

CCTV footage, ballistic reports,

IP tracking and social media

records.

The NIA probe also revealed

a pattern that was witnessed

in Jammu and Kashmir since

2023. This was the same module

of The Resistance Front which

had also carried out other

attacks in the Valley. The three

Pakistani terrorists killed

during Operation Mahadev had

been active in the Valley since

2023. They would strike and

then go hide in the dense forests

before getting instructions to

strike again.

The same module was

responsible for the December 21,

2023, attack on an Army convoy

in Poonch district. Five soldiers

were killed in the attack. On May

4, 2024, an Air Force convoy

was attacked at the Shahsitar-

Sanai area of Poonch, in which

one personnel lost his life. On

June 9, 2024, terrorists opened

fire on a bus carrying pilgrims

returning from Shiv Khori in

Reasi district. All these attacks

were claimed by the Lashkar-e-

Tayiba’s The Resistance Front.

The three terrorists had

infiltrated and had been on the

run in the Valley. They were

attacking at regular intervals

and used the dense forest

cover to hide from the security

forces. As they had become so

accustomed to the Valley, they

were used to the Gagangir and

Pahalgam attacks.

The mobile data that was

recovered during Operation

Mahadev revealed a pattern

behind all these attacks and how

they were interlinked. These

terrorists of The Resistance

Front were being directed by

a Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative,

Sajid Jatt alias Ali Bhai, through

encrypted communication

channels. Jatt also goes by

the alias ‘Langda’ and was

listed among the most wanted

terrorists. He was given charge

of reviving terror activities in

Jammu and Kashmir.

He was largely responsible for

setting up operations for The

Resistance Front, and he also

managed to execute several

successful operations in the

Valley.