Operation Mahadev: All about India’s 4 Para that took down Pahalgam attackers

Operation Mahadev, which tracked down and eradicated three attackers concerned within the Pahalgam incident, was carried out by officers from the Indian Military’s 4 Para (Particular Forces), in keeping with a Information 18 report, citing defence sources.

“This operation was completed by 4 Para (SF) officers. One officer and his buddy recognized them, after which they had been shot instantly,” Information 18 quoted sources as saying.

4 Para performed a central function in Operation Mahadev, focusing on terrorists hiding within the Harwan forest close to Dachigam Nationwide Park.

The unit swiftly cordoned off the world and engaged in a fierce gunbattle, killing three terrorists, together with the mastermind of the Pahalgam bloodbath. The precision strike in dense terrain underlined 4 Para’s counter-terror excellence, reported Information 18.

What’s 4 Para (SF)?

4 Para (Particular Forces), or 4 Para (SF), is likely one of the Indian Military’s most elite Particular Forces models. A part of the Parachute Regiment, it specialises in counter-terrorism, surgical strikes, and high-risk operations in mountain and jungle terrain. The unit has been on the forefront of a number of high-stakes missions in Kashmir, together with the 2016 surgical strikes throughout the Line of Management.

Nicknamed the ‘Pink Devils**’**, the regiment is thought for its fierce fight popularity and distinctive maroon berets, a logo of airborne forces. The nickname is shared with elite paratrooper models worldwide, notably Britain’s airborne forces, and has been adopted by 4 Para (SF) as a mark of their elite standing and operational ethos.

The unit is taken into account some of the deadly in South Asia. Its operatives are handpicked and endure one of many world’s hardest choice and probation processes. They’re skilled for speedy deployment, deep infiltration, and precision strikes.

Throughout the regiment, 4 Para (SF) can also be referred to by the unofficial nickname ‘Mighty Daggers’ — a tribute to their sharp-strike capabilities and aggressive operational type. The time period symbolizes their capability to “strike quick and deep like a dagger,” reflecting each their tactical mindset and battlefield effectiveness.

Different key operations by 4 Para (SF)

Surgical Strikes (2016)

In response to the Uri terror assault, 4 Para commandos led the surgical strikes focusing on terrorist launch pads throughout the Line of Management in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Infiltrating at night time, they neutralised a number of targets and returned with out casualties, showcasing India’s new assertive posture on cross-border terrorism.

Kupwara Snow Encounter (April 2020)

In a high-altitude mission, 4 Para troops had been heli-dropped into snow-covered forests in Kupwara to intercept infiltrators. Regardless of one soldier falling right into a crevasse throughout touchdown, the staff eradicated 5 closely armed terrorists in a close-quarters battle. The operation underscored their adaptability and resilience beneath excessive circumstances.

Origins of 4 Para (SF)

The 4th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment was initially raised in 1941 beneath the British Indian Military throughout World Battle II. Initially skilled as an airborne infantry unit, it noticed motion within the Burma marketing campaign.

After serving as para-infantry in the course of the 1965 and 1971 wars, the unit developed in response to rising asymmetrical threats. By the Eighties, choose Para battalions started specializing in unconventional warfare, and in 2001—following the Parliament assault—4 Para was formally transformed right into a full-fledged Particular Forces unit.

Coaching and deployment

4 Para SF operatives endure a number of the world’s hardest army coaching — together with HALO (Excessive Altitude Low Opening) jumps, jungle warfare, mountain operations, and concrete close-quarters battle (CQB)—at elite centres in Himachal Pradesh, Belgaum, and Nahan.

The unit operates extensively in Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast, and alongside the Line of Management, usually conducting covert and high-risk missions deep behind enemy traces.

With inputs from companies