Three Pakistani militants killed in Dachigam encounter: Army
The militants have been identified as Suleman Shah alias Faisal Jaat, Hamza Afgani, and Jibran Bhai, the Army said.
Two AK-series rifles, one M4 rifle, and a large quantity of ammunition and warlike stores were recovered from the encounter site, the Army spokesperson said.
'The mission marks a critical step in restoring security in Kashmir and commitment of Indian Army towards establishing peace and development. The operation continues,' the Army spokesperson said.
The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, said that search operations had been ongoing in south Kashmir's Dachigam forest areas for the past few months. On April 22, twenty-six civilians, mostly tourists, were killed by a group of militants at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Anantnag district. The attack prompted extensive search operations in several mountainous terrains surrounding the region.
The Lieutenant Governor was briefed about the operation by Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, who was accompanied by Lt. General Prashant Srivastava, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 15 Corps.
'A joint operation was then launched by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF, with the significant assistance of intelligence agencies, leading to the elimination of Pakistani terrorists,' a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said.
The Raj Bhawan spokesperson also said that the Lieutenant Governor congratulated the security forces for the successful execution of Operation Mahadev. The operation, carried out in the difficult terrain of the Dachigam forest, resulted in the killing of the three Pakistani militants allegedly responsible for the Pahalgam attack, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah said, 'I haven't seen them and cannot say who they were. Only eyewitnesses can make that identification. The message is clear, such actions of terrorists will never succeed. If they've been neutralised, they've got the lesson they deserved.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
13 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Asaduddin Owaisi's first reaction to 2008 Malegaon blast case verdict by NIA court: ‘Shoddy investigation'
Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM on Thursday expressed disappointment over the acquittal of all accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, calling it a result of a 'deliberately shoddy investigation and prosecution'. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi speaks to media.(ANI file) 'The Malegaon blast case verdict is disappointing. Six namazis were killed in the blast and nearly 100 were injured. They were targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation/prosecution is responsible for the acquittal,' the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief posted on X. Asaduddin Owaisi questioned whether the Centre and Maharashtra governments would challenge the verdict. 'Seventeen years after the blast, the Court has acquitted all of the accused for lack of evidence. Will the Modi & Fadnavis governments appeal the judgement the way they swiftly demanded stay in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals? Will Maharashtra's 'secular' political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?' Also Follow | Malegaon Blast Case Verdict LIVE Updates Owaisi also recalled former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian's allegation that she was asked to "go soft" on the accused. 'Remember, in 2016 the then prosecutor in the case Rohini Salian went on record to say that NIA had asked her to 'go soft' on the accused. Remember, in 2017, NIA had tried to get Sadhvi Pragya acquitted. The same person would go on to be a BJP MP in 2019.' Also Read | What is Malegaon blast case? Verdict today: What we know about 17-year-long probe He further mentioned slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who had initially probed the blast case before being killed in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. 'Karkare had uncovered the conspiracy in Malegaon & was unfortunately killed by Pakistani terrorists in the 26/11 attacks. The BJP MP went on record saying that she had cursed him and his death was a consequence of his curse.' Taking aim at the current government, Owaisi asked, 'Will NIA/ATS officers be held accountable for their faulty investigation? I think we know the answer. This is the 'tough on terror' Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament.' 2008 Malegaon blast case: Court acquits all 7 accused Nearly 17 years after the Malegaon blast claimed six lives, the special court acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them. No religion teaches violence, the court said. Terrorism has no religion, but the court cannot convict on mere perception, it added. Special Judge AK Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here, flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt. An explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008 killing six persons and injuring 101 others. Besides Thakur and Purohit, the accused comprised Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. Once the court acquitted the seven accused, they looked relieved with smiles on their faces. They thanked the judge and their lawyers. The court while reading out the judgment said there was no "reliable and cogent" evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. "Mere suspicion cannot take the place of real proof," the court said, adding that in the absence of any evidence, the accused persons deserve the benefit of doubt. "The overall evidence does not inspire confidence in the court to convict the accused. There is no reliable and cogent evidence to warrant conviction," the judge said while reading out the judgment. The court also said provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case.
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
Malegaon blast case verdict disappointing, says Owaisi
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has termed as 'disappointing' the verdict of the NIA court, acquitting all accused in the Malegaon blast case, and wanted to know if the Centre and Maharashtra government will seek a stay as they did in the Mumbai train blasts case. In a post on the social media platform 'X', the Hyderabad MP stated that a shoddy investigation led to the acquittal of the accused in the Malegaon blast case. 'The Malegaon blast case verdict is disappointing. Six namazis were killed in the blast and nearly 100 were injured. They were targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation/prosecution is responsible for the acquittal,' said Owaisi. '17 years after the blast, the Court has acquitted all of the accused for lack of evidence. Will the Modi & Fadnavis governments appeal the judgement the way they swiftly demanded stay in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals? Will Maharashtra's 'secular' political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?' asked the MP. He recalled that in 2016, the then prosecutor in the case, Rohini Salian, went on record to say that NIA had asked her to 'go soft' on the accused. 'Remember, in 2017, NIA had tried to get Sadhvi Pragya acquitted. The same person would go on to be a BJP MP in 2019.' Owaisi also mentioned Hemant Karkare, former chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad. 'Karkare had uncovered the conspiracy in Malegaon & was unfortunately killed by Pakistani terrorists in the 26/11 attacks. The BJP MP went on record saying that she had cursed him and his death was a consequence of his curse,' wrote Owaisi. The MP wanted to know if NIA/ATS officers should be held accountable for their faulty investigation. 'I think we know the answer. This is the 'tough on terror' Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament.' Earlier, in the day, in a significant judgment, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including former BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit. The court dropped all charges against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), citing a lack of sufficient evidence.
India.com
41 minutes ago
- India.com
Maharashtra: Family Of Kargil War Veteran Harassed By Mob In Pune, Forced To Prove Indian Citizenship
The family of a Kargil War veteran in Pune has alleged that a mob barged into their home late Saturday night, demanding proof of their Indian citizenship and accusing them of being illegal immigrants. The incident took place in the Chandannagar area of Pune around 11:30 PM. The family claims that members of the Bajrang Dal, accompanied by some police personnel in plain clothes, entered their house and accused them of being Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants. Irshad Shaikh, brother of Army veteran Hakimuddin Shaikh, said, "We are proud Indians. Our family members, since our forefathers, have served the nation for 130 years in various ranks and services, and yet, we were treated like criminals in our own home." He added, "A mob of 70-80 people entered my house and the houses of relatives who reside next to me. They started asking us to prove our nationality. We tried to show our IDs, but they were not listening to us and created chaos. Some police personnel in civil uniform were with them, too." Hakimuddin's nephew, Shamshad Shaikh, shared a similar account. "Around 11:45 pm, they banged loudly on our door. Once open, 5-7 people entered the house. There were a total of 80 people... They started saying that without wasting time, show your Aadhaar card; otherwise, we will kill you. Upon showing, they claimed our Aadhaar cards were fake. We do not know them, but they told us that they are from Bajrang Dal... The police came in civil dress, so we were not able to identify them initially." However, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar denied police involvement in the incident. He said, "The family has not made any allegations of the presence of police in the crowd, and there was indeed no police presence in it." #WATCH | Maharashtra | Army veteran's family allegedly assaulted by mob in Pune and asked to show proof of Indian citizenship Commissioner of Police, Amitesh Kumar says, "An offence of unlawful assembly has been registered against people who gathered there and were raising… — ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2025 The police have registered a case of unlawful assembly against the individuals who allegedly entered the home and raised slogans. "An offence of unlawful assembly has been registered against people who gathered there and were raising slogans. The senior officers have also visited the place, and we have assured the victim's family that all their grievances will be addressed appropriately. If required, relevant sections of law shall be applied in the offence. Stringent action will be taken against offenders," CP Kumar said. Further investigation is underway.
