In another significant move by the National Investigation Agency, a team of NIA sleuths on Tuesday launched a probe into the killing of the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack and his two associates in an encounter with security forces near Srinagar, officials said here.
As reported by the news agency PTI, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team arrived at the Police Control Room (PCR) in Srinagar early Tuesday for the identification of the bodies of the three terrorists.
Earlier on Monday, the Army`s elite para commandos gunned down Sulieman, alias Asif. Asif was one of the alleged masterminds of the April 22 attack. However, along with Asif, his two other close aides were also eliminated in an encounter at Mulnar in the Harwan area near Dachigam National Park in Srinagar.
With security forces launching a surprise action, codenamed `Operation Mahadev,` a technical signal indicating the use of a satellite phone that was used by the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack helped the soldiers and the agencies to act swiftly and eliminate the terrorist.
As reported by PTI, the other terrorists killed in the action have been identified as Jibran. Jibran was allegedly another terrorist who was also involved in the Sonamarg Tunnel attack last year, along with Hamza Afghani.
Earlier, as many as 26 people, mostly tourists, were shot dead by terrorists at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, which prompted the armed forces to launch Operation Sindoor.
Amid Operation Mahadev, the bodies of the slain terrorists were brought from the encounter site to the PCR in Srinagar late on Monday.
The officials, while addressing the elimination of the terrorists, said that “the NIA team are taking witnesses in batches of two to three people “for ensuring a cent per cent confirmation that the slain terrorists include Sulieman Shah”, as cited by news agency PTI.
He further added that, “Meanwhile, the operation is ongoing as intelligence inputs have suggested the presence of another group of terrorists in the area.”
Jibran was allegedly involved in the terror strike at the Sonamarg tunnel project at Gagangir in October last year. Seven people, including a doctor, were killed in the attack. It has also been highlighted that an M4 carbine rifle, two AK rifles, and other munitions were also seized from the site of Monday`s encounter.
(With inputs from PTI)