In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that the terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were Pakistani nationals, providing concrete evidence linking them to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. Shah's statements came in response to questions raised by Congress leader P. Chidambaram regarding the origins of the terrorists involved in the Operation Sindoor in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Shah asserted that the government possesses irrefutable proof of the terrorists' identities and origins. This evidence includes Pakistani voter ID numbers found on two of the slain militants and chocolate wrappers from Pakistan recovered from their possession. He criticized P. Chidambaram for seemingly giving Pakistan a "clean chit" with his remarks. Shah also pointed out the absurdity of Chidambaram questioning the attack on Pakistan if the terrorists weren't Pakistani.

The three terrorists were identified as Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran. They were killed during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar. Security forces recovered weapons and personal items from the terrorists, which were then subjected to forensic testing. The ballistic report matched the cartridges and barrels of the weapons recovered from the slain terrorists with the spent casings secured from the attack site. This further solidified their involvement in the Pahalgam attack.

Local sources also played a crucial role in confirming the terrorists' identities. Individuals detained for providing the militants with food and shelter identified them after their bodies were brought to Srinagar.

According to Shah, Suleman was a top-ranking commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack. He was also involved in an October 2024 attack at the Z-Morh construction site in Gagangir. Hamza and Jibran were also identified as 'A-grade' LeT terrorists.

The Pahalgam attack, which occurred three months prior to the operation, resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists in the Himalayas and sparked nationwide outrage. Eyewitness accounts indicated that the militants appeared to specifically target Hindu men. India has consistently maintained that Pakistan was behind the attack, a claim that Pakistan has denied.

The successful elimination of the three Pahalgam attackers marks the culmination of a massive manhunt. Following a security meeting on April 23, Shah instructed forces to prevent the terrorists from escaping to Pakistan. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies questioned as many as 1,055 eyewitnesses and suspects for over 3,000 hours, and sketches of the terrorists were prepared. On May 22, human intelligence revealed the assailants' presence in the Dachigam area.

While the Indian government has presented what it considers conclusive evidence of the terrorists' Pakistani origins, questions remain. Some have called for the release of the militants' full names, details of their weapons, and voter ID numbers. There are also questions about why the homes of suspected Kashmiri militants were destroyed if the perpetrators were indeed from Pakistan.