Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that for the first time in 2025, India has punished terror planners and neutralised those who executed attacks through separate, targeted operations, underscoring the country’s zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism. Praising the execution of Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, Shah said India had delivered a strong response to what he described as “Pakistan’s terrorist masters”.
Under Operation Sindoor, Indian agencies targeted terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The precision strikes were carried out in May, days after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Those directly involved in carrying out the attack were later eliminated under Operation Mahadev in July.
Addressing the two-day ‘Anti-Terrorism Conference–2025’ in New Delhi, Shah said those who planned the April 22 Pahalgam attack were “punished through Operation Sindoor”, while those who executed it were “neutralised through Operation Mahadev”.
“This is the first terror incident in which the planners were punished and the executors were eliminated. At both ends, the Government of India, our security forces and the people of India have given a strong and fitting reply to Pakistan’s terror ecosystem,” the Home Minister said.
The conference, organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has brought together senior police officers from states and Union Territories, officials from central agencies, and experts in law, forensics and technology.
Shah said the platform, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of zero tolerance towards terrorism, has evolved beyond discussions. “This is not just a conference. Actionable outcomes emerge from here, and agencies work throughout the year to implement them,” he said.
Referring to the Pahalgam attack in Baisaran Valley that claimed 26 lives, Shah said the incident had shaken the nation and was aimed at disrupting communal harmony and undermining development and tourism in Kashmir. Acting on “extremely precise intelligence”, he said, security forces neutralised all three terrorists involved.
The Home Minister said the investigation into the Pahalgam attack has been completed successfully and that its findings would expose Pakistan’s role at international forums.
Highlighting the evolving nature of terrorism, Shah said technology has increasingly become a key tool for terror networks. “We must remain two steps ahead,” he said, stressing the need to build a strong and impenetrable anti-terror grid for the future.
Calling for greater coordination among agencies, Shah said operational uniformity was essential for accurate threat assessment, effective intelligence sharing and coordinated counter-action. He strongly pitched for a common Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) structure across the country and urged state Directors General of Police to implement it at the earliest. He also called for regular use of platforms such as NIDAAN and NATGRID by ATS units.
Shah further praised the Jammu and Kashmir Police for what he termed a thorough investigation into last month’s blast near Delhi’s Red Fort. “All agencies did an excellent job in uncovering the entire network,” he said, adding that the investigations into both the Pahalgam and Delhi blast cases were examples of meticulous and watertight policing.
During the conference, Shah unveiled an updated crime manual prepared by the NIA and launched a weapons e-database, along with a database on organised crime networks. He said organised crime often becomes a funding channel for terrorism, especially when crime syndicate leaders flee abroad and forge links with terror outfits.
“We are working on an action plan for a 360-degree assault on organised crime,” Shah said, urging states to use the new databases in close coordination with central agencies.
Emphasising collective responsibility, the Home Minister called on all central and state agencies to function as “Team India” in matters of national security. He also pushed for a shift from a “need to know” mindset to a “duty to share” approach, warning that siloed data and technology weaken counter-terror efforts.
“As India progresses economically, challenges will also increase. It is our responsibility to build a robust anti-terrorism framework capable of meeting every threat,” Shah said.