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New Delhi described the late-night strikes, dubbed Operation Sindoor, “measured and non-escalatory”, stressing that no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.
The operation launched by the Indian Army on Tuesday. (X: @adgpi)
Indian missiles struck terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) late on Tuesday, two weeks after terrorists from across the border killed 26 people in Pahalgam.
New Delhi described the late-night strikes—dubbed Operation Sindoor—as “measured and non-escalatory,” stressing that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. Sources said the strikes were conducted from the Indian side and were carefully calibrated, with targets selected with precision. Reports suggested that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters may have been among the sites hit.
“India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and the method of execution,” the government said, amid fears of a military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbours. It added that terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK was hit across at least nine sites.
The Pakistan Army claimed that mosques and civilian structures were struck and said it was assessing the damage. Reports of heavy gunfire from the Pakistani side along the Line of Control (LoC) followed soon after the strikes. Indian forces were said to be responding to the firing.
The Pakistan Army acknowledged that Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad were hit, and said that all Pakistan Air Force aircraft were airborne. It warned of a response “at a time and place of its own choosing.”
Following the strikes, the Indian Army posted an image on X bearing the words Operation Sindoor, accompanied by the caption: “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”
Sindoor (vermilion) is traditionally worn by Hindu women as a symbol of marriage. On April 22, several women in Pahalgam lost their husbands when at least three terrorists—two of them believed to be Pakistani—ascertained the religion of their victims before executing Hindu men at point-blank range in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam. Twenty-five Indians, including a local pony operator, and a Nepali citizen were killed in the massacre, which has drawn widespread global condemnation.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since the attack. India has launched a series of diplomatic moves, including suspending the crucial Indus Waters Treaty—a strategic decision aimed at choking water supply to Pakistan.
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the government said after the strikes.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Minister of State for Home Affairs, posted on X: “Operation Sindoor – precise, ruthless, & unforgiving. When India strikes, it’s swift and sure.Our forces hit where it hurts.
Pahalgam martyrs avenged. Mess with India, pay the price. Proud of our bravehearts! Mera Bharat Mahaan. Jai Hind!”
Earlier too, in 2016 and 2019, India hit across the border in response to terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
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