The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a probe into the killing of Sulieman alias Asif, believed to be the mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, along with two accomplices. The trio was neutralized during Operation Mahadev, a joint mission by the Indian Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police, and CRPF, near Dachigam National Park on July 28.

Security forces, acting on a technical satellite-phone interception, engaged the terrorists in forested Lidwas, resulting in their deaths. The other fatalities have been identified as Jibran, linked to the Sonamarg Tunnel attack, and Hamza Afghani, both labeled A-grade operatives affiliated with Lashkar‑e‑Taiba.

The NIA's investigation team has reached the Srinagar Police Control Room, where they are supervising identification of the bodies and gathering forensic evidence. The probe is expected to assess whether the encounter adhered to protocol and to confirm the identities of the deceased terrorists, who are central to India's ongoing anti-terror operations following the Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 lives.