The identification of the attackers involved in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which resulted in the death of 26 civilians, was confirmed through meticulous forensic analysis of rifles and bullets. Union Home Minister Amit Shah provided a detailed account in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, outlining the steps taken during "Operation Mahadev" that led to the elimination of the three terrorists.

Following the attack, a security meeting was held to ensure the perpetrators would not escape. On July 22, a joint operation was launched, culminating in the elimination of all three terrorists. The bodies were identified by four people in Srinagar, but authorities sought further confirmation of their involvement in the Pahalgam attack.

To definitively link the slain terrorists to the Pahalgam massacre, a special flight transported the three rifles recovered from the terrorists to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Chandigarh. The FSL experts analyzed bullet shells recovered from the Pahalgam attack site and then test-fired the recovered rifles to generate more bullet shells. A comparison revealed a 100 percent match between the bullets, confirming that the same weapons were used in the attack.

Shah presented the ballistic report in Parliament, noting that six scientists had cross-verified the findings. They confirmed via video call that the bullets from the recovered weapons were indeed those fired in Pahalgam. The terrorists were identified as Suleiman alias Faizal, Afghani, and Jibran. Suleiman was identified as a top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and was involved in the Gagangir terror attack near Sonamarg in October 2024. Afghani and Jibran were also listed as wanted terrorists.

Further evidence collected from the terrorists included Pakistani voter IDs for two of the individuals and chocolate wrappers manufactured in Pakistan. According to Shah, this evidence supports the claim that the terrorists originated from across the border.

The Home Minister also stated that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation after Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack. The NIA had previously arrested locals who provided shelter to the terrorists, and they identified the bodies.