Operation Sindoor: The Indian armed forces launched 24 precision missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the strongholds of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur. The strikes resulted in over 70 terrorists killed and more than 60 injured, crippling the operational capabilities of these terror groups.
The attack, which took place at 1:44 AM, was a direct retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu & Kashmir, that claimed the lives of 26 individuals—25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Defence confirmed hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir “from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.”
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
The Defence Ministry said India is living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.
India’s strikes come hours before a planned security mock drill across the country for “effective civil defence in the event of a hostile attack”, across 244 districts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the perpetrators of the attack and those who took part in its conspiracy to the “ends of the earth” to inflict punishment on them “beyond their imagination”.
Why Operation Sindoor Is Unlike Any Mission India Has Ever Carried Out
Unlike the 2016 Uri surgical strikes, 2019 Balakot airstrikes, or other past Indian operations, which were limited in scale and scope, Operation Sindoor was technologically robust, expansive and unlike any mission India has ever carried out. The move to strike deep into Pakistan-occupied territory revealed one thing: a departure from prior doctrine.
Operation Sindoor was not only the most expansive cross-border strike conducted by India since the Balakot operation, but also represented an evolution in India’s strategic posture.
“The sheer scale of militant loss sent a strong message to terrorist networks and their handlers. India now reserves the right to strike preemptively, and no location is beyond reach,” a government source said.