Last Updated:
While India exercised caution to avoid civilian harm, Pakistan indiscriminately shelled civilian areas in J&K, killing 13 civilians, including three Sikh devotees.
Residents stand next to a house damaged by Pakistani artillery shelling in Uri, J&K. (AP)
Operation Sindoor: India launched a series of targeted precision strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terror camps and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for the tragedy that unfolded in J&K’s Pahalgam when terrorists gunned down 26 tourists on April 22.
India categorically said that no civilian or military site was hit in their anti-terror ops, and sites linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as the Hizbul Mujahideen group, were carefully selected and targeted.
While India exercised caution to avoid civilian harm, Pakistan showed no such restraint, as it violated the ceasefire and indiscriminately targeted civilian areas, killing 13 people in Jammu and Kashmir through artillery shelling. Pakistan’s armed forces also struck a Sikh religious site.
Follow Live Updates of Operation Sindoor here
Gurdwara Struck By Pakistan, 3 Sikh Devotees Killed
The Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch was struck by Pakistani shelling, damaging its doors, windows and religious artefacts while Sikh devotees were praying, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18. Three Sikh devotees were among those killed and more than 50 people were injured, many in critical condition.
Locals described the intensity of the Pakistani attack as worse than the Kargil War in 1999, with shells hitting homes, schools and vehicles. Several mosques in Muslim-majority areas also came under heavy shelling, resulting in the death of a teacher.
The sources described the Pakistan Army’s Poonch massacre as a deliberate attempt to unsettle Kashmir and the Sikh community by targeting their religious sites. It showed Pakistan’s strategy of using civilian suffering to counter India’s anti-terror operations.
‘Blatant Disregard Of Human Life’
The Sikh community in J&K has long stood in support of India’s security forces. Pakistan’s recent attack not only targeted this historic alliance but also struck at the religious sanctity of the Sikh faith, while once again resorting to its long-standing strategy of using proxy elements to destabilise Kashmir, according to the intel sources.
While India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ was precise and measured to only target terror camps, Pakistan’s actions revealed a blatant disregard for human life, the sources said.
‘Operation Sindoor’ marked a significant escalation in India’s counter-terror strategy following the Pahalgam attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including a Nepali national. Indian Army sources confirmed that the objective was to dismantle launchpads and camps used by terror groups operating from across the Line of Control (LoC).
- Location :
Srinagar, India, India
- First Published: