After elimination of three terrorists, hunt on for splinter group in Valley

A day after security forces killed three terrorists—including top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Sulaiman Shah—during a fierce gunfight on the outskirts of Srinagar, a massive manhunt is underway for a splinter group believed to be active in central Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha that three terrorists involved in the recent Pahalgam attack were neutralised on Monday under Operation Mahadev. The slain militants were identified as Sulaiman Shah alias Faizal Jatt, Hamza Afghani and Jibran.

Security officials described Shah’s killing as a “major setback” to the LeT. He was reportedly involved in multiple high-profile attacks across Jammu and Kashmir.

According to security sources, Shah is believed to have infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir between 2022 and 2023. After carrying out attacks in the Jammu region, Shah along with his associates relocated from the Pir Panjal range to Kashmir in July 2024 and reportedly split into two factions.

Linked to major attacks

Top LeT commander Sulaiman Shah was killed in a gunfight near Srinagar; two Pakistani militants, Hamza Afghani and Jibran, were also neutralised

Security agencies believe Shah’s group has splintered, with associates Musa and Yasir now operating in central Kashmir and suspected of previous attacks

Shah was linked to major attacks, including the Poonch ambush, an Air Force convoy strike, and the deadly Ganderbal tunnel attack in 2023

Authorities are conducting a large-scale manhunt for Musa and Yasir, who are believed to have crossed into Kashmir via the Tulail sector last year

Two of Shah’s key associates—identified as Pakistani nationals Musa and Yasir—are believed to be active in the central Kashmir region and are now the focus of an intensified manhunt. “They are suspected to have played a role in the Butapathri attack in Gulmarg last year, which resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and two civilian porters,” a senior official said. “All efforts are underway to eliminate the remaining group members. We are confident they will be neutralised soon.”

Shah was also suspected of involvement in several major attacks, including the ambush in Poonch’s Dera Ki Gali, in which four soldiers were killed; the attack on an Air Force convoy in the Jammu region; and the Ganderbal tunnel attack last year, where seven people lost their lives.

During that incident, Shah was reportedly accompanying Lashkar terrorist Junaid Ahmed Bhat, who was later killed by security forces. Shah managed to escape the encounter, prompting an intensified surveillance effort by security agencies.

Security sources said Shah was first identified and tracked by the Jammu and Kashmir Police following the Ganderbal tunnel attack.

The other two terrorists killed alongside Shah—Hamza Afghani and Jibran—are believed to have infiltrated into Kashmir via the Tulail sector in north Kashmir last year and were reportedly received by Shah in the Ganderbal region.