14 Days, 1 Mission, Mahadev Peak: How the Pahalgam Mastermind Was Hunted Down. A nail-biting, cinematic retelling of Operation Mahadev.

DAY 1 – Shadows over Mahadev

The silent forests beneath Mahadev Peak, towering over the scenic Dachigam valley, hid a dark secret. After the blood-soaked tragedy in Pahalgam, India’s elite counter-terrorism units vowed retaliation — not in haste, but with precision. Deep in the wild, at 12,000 feet above sea level, surveillance teams intercepted encrypted Chinese military-grade communication signals — cold, coded, and deadly.

The chatter was unmistakable: “WY-SMS”, the infamous communication protocol once used by Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2016, was back. Its origin? Somewhere in the icy wilderness of Mulnar, Harwan, at the base of Mahadev.

The hunt had begun.

DAY 3 – Phantom in the Trees

The intelligence was staggering — the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack was hiding here:

Suleiman Shah, alias Hashim Musa, a ghost with a blood-soaked legacy.

A former commando of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG), Shah had vanished into Lashkar’s shadowy world years ago. Hardened in jungle warfare, survival, and insurgency tactics, he had become a myth until now.

Using satellite imagery, ground reconnaissance, and direction-finding radars, the Indian Army and intelligence agencies triangulated the source of the encrypted signals. The needle pointed toward a camouflaged cluster of hideouts deep in the Mulnar jungles — possibly an operational base.

DAY 5 – The Steel Web Tightens

The Army’s elite Para commandoes (Special Forces) were inserted into the periphery — silent, unseen, and in pairs. Meanwhile, technical intelligence confirmed multiple foreign fighters were in the area. The jungle was rigged — escape tunnels, booby traps, motion sensors. The teams would need patience and planning. The snow-fed streams nearby ran cold and fast — masking every footfall.

The op was codenamed: Operation Mahadev — not only after the sacred peak, but also the divine destroyer in Indian mythology. Destruction of evil was imminent.

DAY 9 – A Clue in the Static

At 0400 hours, the SIGINT team intercepted a short-range encrypted message: “Move before full moon.”

The implication was chilling: the terrorists were preparing for a high-profile attack, possibly on a civilian target in Srinagar during the Amarnath Yatra. The operation could no longer wait.

The next 48 hours would be a race against time.

DAY 11 – Final Lock-On

Using drone surveillance with infrared vision, a brief movement was detected near an abandoned shepherd hut — a brief glint of metal in the undergrowth. It was confirmed: Shah and at least two more foreign fighters were present — all Category A++ targets, armed with carbines, AK-47s, and grenade launchers.

The Army sealed off the escape routes. Infiltration teams were silently positioned along the ridges. The entire forest was now a pressure cooker, and the lid was about to blow.

DAY 13 – The Reckoning Begins

At 0200 hours, commandos closed in under moonlight. Pinpoint drone-guided laser designators marked the hideout. As the terrorists shifted positions inside, the assault began. Stun grenades, flashbangs, and burst fire erupted in the still air.

The terrorists retaliated fiercely — using rifle grenades to stall the entry. But the commandos weren’t new to this game. Moving in fireteams, using suppressive tactics and thermal imaging, they pinned down each corner.

After a 6-hour close-quarter firefight, three bodies lay inside. Shah — the ex-SSG ghost — had fallen. Beside him were two more foreign fighters, likely from Jaish-e-Mohammed, as per preliminary intel.

DAY 14 – Aftermath of the Hunt

The post-op sweep recovered:

• 3 AK-47s
• 17 rifle grenades
• Chinese-origin encrypted radios
• Night vision scopes
• High-calorie Pakistani combat rations
• Map with planned routes into civilian zones

It was no ordinary cell — this was a mobile command unit, a snake’s head severed.

Back in Pahalgam, tears turned into a quiet prayer. Justice had been delivered. Not with fanfare, but with the cold precision of a nation’s resolve.

Operation Mahadev was more than just a tactical success.

It was a message — that no matter how well-trained, how deep they hide, India’s enemies will be found, cornered, and neutralised.

From the cruel silence of Pahalgam to the roaring mountains of Mahadev, this was a reckoning long in the making.

And it had just begun.

Wing Commander BS Sudarshan is a former Indian Air Force pilot with over 12,000 flying hours. He participated in Operation Pawan and Operation Cactus before he transitioned to civil aviation. A passionate writer, he has authored six books, including "Hasiru Hampe", appreciated by S L Bhyrappa, and the latest "Evergreen Hampi". He is a regular contributor to the Verandah Club.