Srinagar: As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh began the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament, security forces scored a massive win on Monday by gunning down three Pakistani terrorists in an encounter near Srinagar, two of them involved in the Pahalgam attack in which 26 innocents were murdered in cold blood.

Suleiman Shah, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, was identified as the mastermind of the April 22 terror attack that shook the nation. Security sources have confirmed that he was among the terrorists killed in the encounter in the morning. Monday's operation, named Operation Mahadev, neutralised two other terrorists: Abu Hamza and Yasir. Yasir, too, is believed to be among the Pahalgam killers. Security forces from the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police were part of the joint operation.

Suleiman served in the Pakistan Army and was also known as Hashim Moosa. In the aftermath of the terror attack at Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had announced a Rs 20 lakh reward on anyone providing information about Suleiman. All the terrorists, it is learnt, were "high-value" targets. According to reports, the security forces acted on an intelligence input and launched the operation in the Mulnar area of Harwan. Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and a combing exercise is on.

"It is a prolonged operation and is still continuing in which J&K police, paramilitary and army have an exchange of fire (with terrorists) in higher reaches. It is an ongoing operation, and we will share details with you at an opportune time,” the police said.