Foreign rifles seized from terrorists in Op Mahadev exposes Pak hand: Sources

India Today

4 days ago

The cache of foreign-made rifles and weapons recovered from the slain terrorists, one of whom was the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack, during Operation Mahadev has exposed Pakistan's role in fuelling terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.On Monday, three months after the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 dead, security forces gunned down top Lashkar commander Suleiman Shah, alias Hashim Musa, in the Dachigam area near Mount Mahadev. advertisementMusa, who served in the Pakistan army's special forces, is believed to be the conspirator and executor of the April 22 attack in Baisaran Valley.
Sources said the recovery of sophisticated weapons like the US-made M4 Carbine pointed towards an organised supply chain being operated from across the border.Apart from the American M4 Carbine, the security forces also seized a Romanian Model 90 assault rifle and a hybrid Russian AKM 7.62 rifle. Sources said such high-grade weapons are rarely used by local militants in the Valley.OPERATION MAHADEV ENTERS DAY 2Meanwhile, Operation Mahadev entered the second day on Tuesday after security forces received fresh input about the suspected movement of terrorists.The Army is likely to hold a media briefing later in the day after the exact identities of the other two terrorists are confirmed. It is not immediately clear if they were also involved in the Pahalgam attack.Intelligence agencies are working to match biometric and facial data of the deceased with existing records.Security forces believe that two or more individuals may have been accompanying the slain terrorists and could still be hiding in the dense Dachigam terrain.The operation was launched after a suspicious communication was intercepted by the Army earlier in July, following which a joint group of Lashkar and Jaish terrorists was closely tracked for 14 days.A Chinese radio communication device, which was active during the Pahalgam attack, was again switched on two days ago, helping the forces to narrow down the location of the terrorists. When the security forces zeroed in on the terrorists, they were caught napping, as the element of surprise and superior tactical manoeuvre saw their luck running out.- EndsTune InMust Watch