The showdown between the BJP-led NDA and the Opposition over Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attacks in the Parliament took another turn on Tuesday as Union home minister Amit Shah said that "all three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were involved in the Pahalgam terror attack".

The three terrorists have been identified as Suleman alias Faizal, Afghani and Jibran.

"While Suleman was an A-category commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Afghani was also an A-category Lashkar-e-Taiba terroris, Jibran too was a notorious and wanted terrorist. All these three terrorists involved in the killing of our citizens at Baisaran valley in Pahalgam have now been eliminated," he said.

Shah further stated that a confirmation process was carried out to close the identification process.

"To be sure about the identity of the terrorists, those detained by security forces for helping the terrorists were brought in and confirmed that the three were involved in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam," he said.

"People who used to supply food, provide shelter to the terrorists were detained earlier. Once the bodies of these terrorists were brought to Srinagar, they were identified by those who were detained by our agencies," he added.

'Same bullet used in Pahalgam'

The arms -- M-9 and AK-47 rifles -- recovered from the terrorists were flown to Chandigarh on Monday night in a special flight for examination at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory.

The empty cartridges found at Pahalgam and those after test firing by the recovered guns were matched by the forensic lab, Shah said. The ballistic report is with him, he added.

"Six forensic experts have confirmed to me on a video call this morning that these are the same bullets used in the Pahalgam attack," he said.

The home minister said security forces had recovered Pakistani voter IDs of two of the killed terrorists as well as chocolates made in Pakistan and the weapons.

After the Pahalgam attack, security forces were instructed not to allow terrorists responsible for the dastardly act to leave the country

Describing the Pahalgam attack as barbaric, Shah said innocent civilians were brutally killed in front of their families after being asked about their religion and were murdered with extreme cruelty.

Expressing heartfelt condolences for those who had lost their lives in Pahalgam and during Pakistani shelling on civilians, the home minister said due to Pakistani firing civilians were martyred and some gurdwaras and temples damaged.

NIA launches probe

A team of NIA sleuths has launched a probe into the killing of the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack and his two associates in an encounter with security forces near Srinagar, officials told news agency PTI.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team arrived at the Police Control Room (PCR) here early Tuesday for the identification of the bodies of the three terrorists, they said.

As many as 26 people, mostly tourists, were shot dead by terrorists at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, which prompted the armed forces to launch Operation Sindoor on May 7 against the terror infrastructure in Pakistan.

The bodies of the slain terrorists were brought from the encounter site to the PCR late Monday.

The NIA team is taking witnesses in batches of two to three people "for ensuring a cent per cent confirmation that the slain terrorists include Sulieman Shah", officials said.

Meanwhile, the operation is ongoing as intelligence inputs have suggested the presence of another group of terrorists in the area, officials said.

Jibran was allegedly involved in the terror strike at the Sonamarg tunnel project at Gagangir in October last year. Seven people, including a doctor, were killed in the attack.

An M4 carbine rifle, two AK rifles and other munitions were seized from the site of Monday's encounter.

(With PTI inputs)