New Delhi: In the early hours of Wednesday, the Indian armed forces launched a major retaliatory strike against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. Nine locations were targeted with missiles, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters in Muridke.
Unlike earlier instances, the Pakistani establishment has acknowledged the Indian strikes on its soil and vowed retaliation. The operation was carried out in response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Here is all we know so far about the strikes:
Justice is served. Jai Hind
The Army launched a counter-terror operation codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure across the border. Announcing the strike, the Army declared, “Justice is served. Jai Hind.”
Nine terror targets hit
The Indian forces struck nine key terror locations with precision missiles, including: Bahawalpur (Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters), Muridke (Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters), Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Gulpur, Bhimber, Chak Amru, and Sialkot.
Coordinates for the strikes on terrorist camps and launchpads were provided by Indian intelligence agencies. A notable achievement was the targeting of JeM and LeT headquarters, located deep within Pakistani territory.
Jaish, LeT headquarters hit
While India targeted terror camps and terror launchpads across the border, it also launched missiles on Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters in Muridke. A major achievement for the forces as these locations are deep inside Pakistani territory.
Tri-services operation
The strikes were executed using precision strike weapon systems from all three forces — the Army, Navy, and Air Force — including loitering munitions. All attacks were conducted from Indian soil.
Airspace disruptions
Due to the escalating situation, IndiGo Airlines confirmed that several flights were affected in northern India. Delays and cancellations impacted routes to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, and Bikaner. Meanwhile, Pakistan shut down its airports in Sialkot and Lahore.
Civilian casualties amid Pakistani retaliation
In response, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked firing and artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) opposite Jammu and Kashmir during the intervening night of May 6–7. Three civilians were killed in the indiscriminate shelling. The Indian Army continues to respond proportionately to the aggression.
