Shadows Over Lidwas: Operation Mahadev and the Hidden Cost of Victory

Prologue: Shadows in the Forest

They were shadows in the forest—
Not legends, not myths—just lives caught between borders,
Men with names that flickered like flame—
Suleiman, Jibran, Hamza—
And the countless who never made the news,
Their stories carved into cold earth beneath leaves.
The morning sunlight cut through Lidwas like a question
We thought we had answers for—
Three figures, armed, poised, deadly,
Edges blurred by fear and intelligence tangled in wires.
We tell ourselves the triumph:
Eliminated. Neutralized. Threat ended.
Proof in voter IDs, chocolates stamped with foreign names—
Certificates we hold up to shield our doubt.
But does paper ever quiet the silence?

On April 22, 2025, terror struck Pahalgam, Kashmir, leaving 26 civilians dead—including children and tourists. The horror of this act led to a months-long manhunt through daunting terrain, culminating in what would come to be known as Operation Mahadev—an audacious, multi-agency counterterrorism operation.

Agenda

To provide a nuanced, fact-based account of Operation Mahadev and its aftermath.
To highlight both the tactical triumphs and the complex sociopolitical, emotional consequences for the Kashmir Valley and the nation.
To encourage critical inquiry and inclusive dialogue beyond official narratives.
To reflect on the urgent questions around security, trust, and sustainable peace.

Anatomy of the Operation

On the humid morning of July 28, 2025, in the Lidwas forest near Srinagar, a decisive counter-terror operation unfolded. Code-named Operation Mahadev, after the looming Mahadev Peak, the mission was the culmination of weeks of intelligence—technical surveillance, satellite intercepts, encrypted messages, and human input from locals.

At approximately 11 a.m., a joint force of the 24 Rashtriya Rifles, 4 Para, CRPF, and J&K Police encountered three militants in a well-camouflaged hideout near Dachigam National Park. Within the hour, all three were neutralized.

The slain included:

Suleiman Shah – Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and ex-Pakistani Army SSG commando, mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack (April 2025).
Jibran – Involved in the Sonamarg Tunnel attack (October 2023).
Hamza Afghani – Feared LeT associate.

Recovered: AK rifles, M4 carbine, war-like stores, Pakistani voter ID cards, and even chocolates marked “Made in Pakistan.”

What set this operation apart:

Technical Breakthroughs: Intelligence teams traced encrypted communications from a Chinese-origin satellite phone—gear not available in the civilian market—suggesting deeper foreign involvement. This unprecedented signal intercept was pivotal in tracking the militants’ movement.
Drone and Human Intel: Local nomads and villagers reported sightings, adding ground truth to the electronic intercepts.
Simultaneous Action: On July 28, a firefight ensued. All three terrorists—Suleman Shah (an ex-Pakistani commando), Jibran, and Hamza Afghan—were swiftly neutralized, leaving no chance for escape.

The Artifacts of Proof and Power

The government showcased evidence: Pakistani voter IDs, foreign chocolates, and encrypted devices, linking the attackers directly to past horrors like the Pahalgam and Sonamarg strikes. For many, these tokens seemed enough—solid, visual, definitive.

Yet, history warns: objects tell stories, but never the full truth. There are always questions they cannot answer:

What choices force a man across borders, to kill and die on foreign soil?
How thin is the line between a “foreign terrorist” and a local youth failed by politics, poverty, or fear?
Who decides what evidence is enough, and for whom?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared these details in the Lok Sabha, highlighting that these were “A-category” foreign terrorists dispatched by Lashkar-e-Taiba to destabilize the region. Yet, the subsequent parliamentary debate became charged, with some Opposition leaders questioning the nature of terror in Kashmir—sparking further polarization.

Every “clean” narrative risks flattening the very people and questions that make up the real story.

Triumph — And the Burden It Leaves

The joint operation displayed India’s growing prowess: technological surveillance, inter-agency synergy, and the ability to intercept even encrypted Chinese-origin communications. This was a tactical and technological leap—one that sends a message far beyond the valley’s borders.

But every bullet fired echoes elsewhere. For every slain militant, there are families—on all sides—who lose a son, a brother, often without answers or closure. There are Kashmiri civilians who wake to more suspicion, more checkpoints, a thicker air of fear.

As politicians in Delhi battle through blame and bravado, mothers in the valley whisper, “Who will keep us safe when the guns fall silent?”

Impact on National Security

The operation’s success signals a leap forward in India’s security strategy:

Enhanced Tech-Driven Counterterrorism: The use of satellite interception and drones represents a new model for intelligence-driven operations.
Military Coordination: Synergy between military, CRPF, and local police maximized effectiveness and minimized collateral damage.
Message to Sponsors: Indian leadership insists the operation demonstrates to Pakistan and its proxy groups that terror planners and executors will both be held accountable.

The Price of Certainty: Security, Sorrow & Suspicion

Official victory brings fleeting relief, but also harsher questions:

Why does terror—rooted and imported—recur in cycles, despite tactical wins?
What is the emotional toll on villagers living between suspicion and survival, their faith weaponized, their grief unacknowledged?
Will peace come from repeated “neutralizations,” or through the slower, messier work of addressing old wounds, political accountability, and local grievances?

Day after day, headlines demand celebration, not mourning. Sacrifice is honored; loss, especially of the “enemy,” is shrugged off. Yet, the real cost lingers in the lives uprooted by endless violence, deepening divisions, and broken trust.

Unanswered Questions and International Implications

Why did foreign militants possess advanced Chinese equipment? Investigations continue into whether these were supplied to bypass Indian counter-surveillance—with broader geopolitical implications, potentially signaling deeper Chinese-Pakistani collaboration in supporting non-state actors.

Furthermore, can military victories alone bring peace to Kashmir? Or is there a need for deeper reconciliation—addressing the roots of radicalization, restoring trust, and securing dignity for all Kashmiris?

The Ongoing Search

Even after Operation Mahadev, security forces continue combing the Lidwas forests for hidden cells. Intelligence networks have improved, but authorities stress that vigilance and public participation remain key for lasting peace.

The Danger of a Single Story

Operation Mahadev’s narrative—of foreign evil, local heroism, technological edge—serves power. Doubts raised by opposition MPs are dismissed as disloyalty; alternate accounts are overwhelmed by official scripts.

But this closure is fragile. Transparency remains elusive. Calls for independent forensic verification are met with political stonewalling. When every act of violence is simplified as an external conspiracy, the risk is alienation, even among the innocent.

Too often, the certainty of “justice done” masks the complexity beneath: political polarization, international intrigue (like hints of Chinese tech support), and cycles of retaliation that seldom end.

Memory, Mourning, and Moving Forward

We are called to celebrate Operation Mahadev’s success. Yet, we must also mourn—truly mourn—the children who lose fathers, the villages caught in the crossfire, the trust that dies a little each time a valley is “secured” by force.

If we want to break the cycle, we need something harder than security: honest accounting, inclusive dialogue, and accountability that extends beyond the elimination of the “enemy.”

Maybe what we need most is the courage to sit with uncertainty—to seek stories that challenge us, force us to grieve honestly, and move us past the comfort of headlines toward the possibility of healing.

Conclusion: The Weight We Must Carry

Operation Mahadev is more than a line in a news report or a number on a minister’s ledger. It is a window into the soul of our times—a reminder that no true victory is won if silence, suspicion, and sorrow are the only legacies left behind.

Let us honor those who risk and lose their lives, yes. But let us also hold space for doubt, for dialogue, for the slow work of real peace. Only then can we claim, as a nation, not just triumph—but transformation.

. . .

References:

Disclaimer:

This article is based on publicly available news reports, government statements, parliamentary discussions, and reputed journalistic sources. While every effort has been made to ensure factual accuracy and balance, interpretations and inferences are the author’s own. The article does not represent any government or organizational view and is intended solely for informative and academic purposes.

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