'Op Mahadev': India plans to use detained Pakistanis in ‘fake encounters’

Pakistani security sources have said that India is staging “fake encounters” in India-occupied Kashmir under a new military campaign called Operation Mahadev, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

The claims come after India’s Chinar Corps said its forces killed three suspected militants in Srinagar during the operation. Indian media have linked one of the deceased to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which left 26 dead. 

Pakistan has consistently denied involvement in the Pahalgam incident, calling for an independent investigation. It also accused India of launching unprovoked strikes on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, which it says failed.

Security officials in Islamabad claim Operation Mahadev is a cover-up for those failures, alleging that India plans to use detained Pakistani nationals in staged encounters to falsely present them as cross-border militants. Two Pakistani citizens, Muhammad Farooq and Muhammad Deen, were reportedly killed after mistakenly crossing the border on 24th April.

They also noted that over 2,000 Kashmiris were arrested and homes demolished during a crackdown after the Pahalgam attack. Military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif previously revealed that 723 Pakistanis are being held in Indian prisons, with 56 allegedly in secret custody.

Indian authorities, meanwhile, confirmed on Monday that three suspected fighters were killed in a clash near Dachigam National Park in Kashmir. The individuals were not identified but were said to be “foreigners”.

The disputed Kashmir region remains tense. A recent Global Peace Index listed Kashmir as a key global hotspot, warning of escalating violence.

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament that military operations had ended only after objectives were achieved—denying claims that US President Donald Trump pressured New Delhi into a ceasefire.