In a decisive response to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives, the Indian Army has announced the successful execution of “Operation Sindoor,” a series of precision strikes targeting terrorist camps and destroying their infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Operation Sindoor was conducted jointly with the Indian Air Force, utilized precision strike weapons to hit nine sites identified as being linked to terror activities directed against India.
The Indian Army officially confirmed the operation, stating that the strikes were a strong retaliation for the barbaric attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. The announcement followed reports of multiple explosions across Pakistan and PoJK, with videos circulating that purportedly showed blasts at various locations. Sources cited by news agency ANI confirmed that the operation was a coordinated effort between the Army and the Air Force, employing advanced precision weaponry to neutraliSe the identified terror camps.
Precision strike weapon systems of the three forces, the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, were used in the attacks, including the loitering munitions. The coordinates for the attacks on terrorist camps inside Pakistan and POJK were provided by the intelligence agencies.
Following the public announcement of Operation Sindoor, a wave of support and commendation for the Indian armed forces swept across the political spectrum. Ministers and leaders from various parties took to social media platform X, many sharing a graphic bearing the operation’s name, to hail the Army’s action.
In an official press release detailing the success of Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army stated that the targeted infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK had been used for planning and directing terrorist attacks against India. The release emphasized that the operation was “focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature,” clarifying that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. India, the Army asserted, had demonstrated “considerable restraint” in the selection of targets and the method of execution.
The press release explicitly linked Operation Sindoor to the commitment made to hold those responsible for the Pahalgam attack accountable. “We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the Army stated, underscoring the retaliatory nature of the operation.
Separately, the Indian Embassy issued a statement asserting that India possesses “credible leads, technical inputs, testimony of the survivors and other evidence pointing towards the clear involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists in this attack.” The embassy expressed India’s expectation that Pakistan would take action against these terrorists and the infrastructure supporting them. However, it noted that in the fortnight following the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan had instead engaged in “denial and made allegations of false flag operations against India.”
Pakistan’s military formally confirmed the missile strikes by India on the three cities. During his press conference, Lt Gen Chaudhry stated, “Some time ago from now, India launched air strikes on Subhanullah mosque in Bahwalpur’s Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air.” Chaudhry confirmed that damage assessments were ongoing and that further details would be released in due course. News agency, Reuters reported loud explosions just after midnight near Muzaffarabad in PoJK, followed by a citywide blackout.
