Three and a half months after the Indian Army’s successful Operation Mahadev in Pahalgam, the identity of the third slain terrorist has finally been confirmed. Officials have identified him as Hannan Zafar, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), who was among the three militants killed in the July 28 encounter. The three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev on mount Mahadev were involved in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sources said that Hannan Zafar, also known by his alias Jibran, was one of the key perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack. Aged around 25, he hailed from the Sudhanoti region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, where his father, Mohammad Zafar, worked as a daily wage labourer.
Interestingly, the identities of the other two terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev were established within a day of the operation. They were identified as Bilal Afzal, alias Faisal Jatt or Suleman, and Habib Tahir, alias Hamza Afghani, both residents of Sheikhupura in Pakistan.
Family Event in PoK Reveals Key Links
In a surprising development, a gathering was recently held at Hannan Zafar’s home in PoK, where photographs of the slain terrorist were displayed. According to intelligence inputs, Abu Musa alias Abdullah Kashmiri, a top commander of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was also present at the event. Sources say Musa was the one who had recruited Zafar into Lashkar’s network.
Joined LeT at 19
Investigations have revealed that Hannan Zafar joined Lashkar-e-Taiba at the young age of 19. His training began with Daura-e-Suffa and Daura-e-Umma at Lashkar’s Suffa Academy in Muridke. He later underwent advanced combat instruction—Daura-e-Lashkar at the KFC Muzaffarabad camp, followed by Daura-e-Fidai training at Forward Kahuta.
Armed with this extensive training, Zafar infiltrated Indian territory and played a key role in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed multiple lives and heightened tensions along the Line of Control (LoC).
