Stealth, shadow, kill: How forces took out the terrorists

Revealing the precision and stealth of Indian forces, the three Pakistani terrorists killed in Kashmir on Monday were caught completely unaware—until it was too late to escape.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

According to details accessed by The Daily Guardian, the build-up to the operation that led to the elimination of the terrorists—who carried out the 22 April Pahalgam massacre—began when security forces first picked up indications of their presence in the area on 22 May.

However, it was only on 22 July that movement was confirmed, triggering the deployment of operational units.

Following this confirmation, security teams moved swiftly and began closing in on the suspected hideout. A 12-member unit tracked one of the terrorists, identified as Hamza Afghani alias Afghani Bhai, while maintaining distance to avoid alerting the group. By following him, the team was led to the hideout used by all three terrorists, which was covered with a plastic sheet strung between trees to shield them from the rain.