Islamabad, July 28, 2025: India has reportedly launched a new covert military campaign titled “Operation Mahadev” to deflect attention from its recent failures in the conflict with Pakistan.
The operation allegedly involves staging fake encounters and using illegally detained Pakistani nationals as part of a disinformation campaign. Sources claim that Indian forces aim to portray these detainees as cross-border militants in order to justify the operations and maintain internal political support.
“Operation Mahadev” is said to follow the collapse of India’s previous military initiative, Operation Sindoor, which ended in a strategic setback during a brief but intense conflict with Pakistan in May.
Security officials believe the new operation is part of a wider strategy to suppress the growing independence movement in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and to restore the political image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration after suffering losses both militarily and diplomatically.
According to the sources, Pakistani detainees currently held in Indian jails are at risk of being killed in fabricated encounters and later presented as infiltrating terrorists. Images, videos, and planted weapons have already been circulated to Indian media outlets to support the official narrative, they allege.
The report also references the false flag operation in Pahalgam, during which two Kashmiris were reportedly martyred on April 24 after allegedly straying across the Line of Control. Officials claim this marked the resumption of India’s controversial tactic of staging encounters.
The Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has previously raised concerns over the illegal detention of 723 Pakistanis in Indian jails, including 56 individuals believed to be forcibly held by Indian intelligence agencies. He had warned that these detainees could be coerced into giving false statements or later falsely declared as killed terrorists to fuel India’s propaganda efforts.
The developments come in the aftermath of the May 2025 armed conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which ended in a ceasefire on May 10 brokered by the United States. Pakistan’s military had launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos in response to India’s Operation Sindoor, reportedly shooting down six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, and destroying dozens of drones during the 87-hour confrontation.
Analysts warn that such covert operations and information warfare tactics risk reigniting tensions in the region and undermine prospects for long-term peace. So far, there has been no official response from Indian authorities regarding the allegations.
