Key Points

He said the bullets seized from the terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev matched 100 per cent with the bullets used in the Pahalgam attack. This confirmed that the same terrorists were responsible for the deaths of 26 innocent people in Baisaran Valley on April 22.

HM Shah stated that three Pakistani terrorists involved in the attack have been eliminated in Operation Mahadev. Authorities also seized two AK-47 rifles and one M9 rifle that were used in the incident. Additionally, two locals who provided shelter to the terrorists are in custody.

"NIA had detained the people who gave shelter to the terrorists. When the bodies of the terrorists were brought to Srinagar, four people confirmed their identities as Pahalgam attackers. However, we did not hurry and believe these people," the Home Minister said during the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha.

"FSL report of the cartridge was already with us at the Chandigarh central FSL. And when these terrorists were killed yesterday, we seized three rifles -- one M9 American rifle and two AK-47s. The cartridges (of the Pahalgam attack) were also of this very type of rifle, but we still did not conclude solely on this," he said

"These rifles were sent to Chandigarh immediately yesterday, and empty gun shells were generated through them by firing the entire night. Two shells were matched, so were the rifles' grooves, which confirmed that these were the very rifles used to kill our innocent citizens," HM Shah added.

Presenting the NIA report, HM Shah said, "I have the report; it has been cross-verified by six scientists. At 4.46 a.m. this morning, they confirmed to me over a video call that these are 100 per cent the same bullets that were used in the attack."

The Home Minister mentioned that when the offshoot of Pakistan-backed Laskhar-e-Taiba's outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), took responsibility for the attack, it was decided to hand over this investigation to the NIA, as it is the world-recognised agency to investigate terror-related incidents.

He also stated that all the security forces "did their best to ensure that these terrorists do not cross the borders".

Stressing the extent of the investigation, HM Shah said, "It was a tiring investigation during which, families of the people who were killed, tourists, ponny walas, employees, shopkeepers, etc., -- over 3,000-hour-long questioning of 1,055 people was done and recorded in video."

"Sketches were made according to them, and after an intensive search, people were identified who gave shelter to the terrorist after the attack. Both were detained and are in custody," he said.

"The empty bullet casings we had recovered were sent to the Chandigarh FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) for testing. And when those were tested at the Chandigarh FSL, it was confirmed that the same rifles had been used in the terror attack," he mentioned.

"Alongside this, the terrorists involved in another terror killing have also been neutralised. After this, a sketch was prepared, and the mothers of the two arrested associates of the terrorists identified the bodies of all three terrorists. Their associates, who were involved in both terror incidents, also identified them. And today at 4 a.m., this was further confirmed through FSL verification," he added.

- IANS