Image Source: Agencies

July 29, 2025: After intercepting a satellite phone signal believed to be used by militants in the recent Pahalgam attack in South Kashmir, the Army Special Forces launched Operation Mahadev on Monday.

Intelligence and counterterrorist units responded quickly to the unusual communication alert. The signal led investigators to Asif, alias Sulaiman Shah, a terrorist considered the mastermind behind the attack.

In 2024, he is said to have moved from the Pir Panjal range to the Kashmir Valley, where he has since been operating under the radar. Junaid Ahmed Bhat, a local Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative associated with the Ganderbal tunnel attack in December, was killed during the encounter.

However, it is believed that Asif has left the location and is still at large. The use of satellite phones, which are uncommon in the area and easy to track down, was crucial in locating the terrorist hideout and launching the operation.

Asif may try to flee the Valley or cross over to more remote areas, according to intelligence, so security forces continue their search. The three terrorists were eliminated by Special Forces of the Army during a major counterterrorism operation.

While the security forces were tight-lipped about the identities of the slain militants, one of them had been identified as Asif, alias Sulaiman Shah, the alleged Pahalgam attack mastermind.