Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Pakistan | Details

Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Pakistan | Details

KAKALI DAS

Early in the morning on May 7, India launched a military operation called “Operation Sindoor”. The Indian Armed Forces carried out precision airstrikes on 9 locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

These strikes were in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that happened two weeks ago, where 26 innocent people were killed — 25 Indians and 1 Nepali citizen — by Pakistani and Pakistan-backed terrorists.

There had been a lot of speculation about India’s response. Now, the action has been taken. A short while ago, India held a press conference to share the first official details of the strikes.

The briefing was led by Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry, a Kashmiri. He was joined by Colonel Sophia Qureshi from the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh from the Air Force — two senior women officers. One of them is Muslim. Their presence sent a strong message: All Indians, from different regions and religions, stand united against terrorism.

The foreign secretary confirmed that the strikes were precise and quick, lasting just 25 minutes. All attacks were carried out from Indian airspace, and no Indian jets crossed the Line of Control (LoC).

Vikram Mistry explained the context – how and why the terrorists targeted innocence in Pahalgam – “The attack in Pahalgam was marked by extreme barbarity with the victims mostly killed with headshots from close range and in front of their families. Family members were deliberately traumatised through the manner of the killing, accompanied by the exhortation that they should take back the message.

The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining the normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir. In particular, it was designed to impact the mainstay of the economy, tourism , with the record 23 million tourists visiting the valley last year. The calculation presumably was that harming growth and development in the union territory would help keep it backward and create fertile ground for continued cross border terrorism…”

The armed forces then gave a detailed presentation. India showed surveillance footage and videos of the targeted sites. The videos showed how the strikes were carried out in Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistan’s Punjab, as well as in Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Muridke is the main base of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. It is where terrorists like David Coleman Headley and Ajmal Kasab were trained—both involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Muridke is also known as the base of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks and a United Nations-designated terrorist. He is believed to be responsible for the Pahalgam attack as well.

Key areas hit include:

In PoK:

1. Sawai Nala Camp (Muzaffarabad) – Lashkar-e-Taiba’s training centre. Linked to attacks in Sonmarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam.
2. Syedna Bilal Camp (Muzaffarabad) – Jaish-e-Mohammed’s base for weapons and jungle training.
3. Gulpur Camp (Kotli) – Lashkar camp. Terrorists from here attacked Rajouri and Poonch in the past.
4. Barnala Camp (Bhimber) – Weapons and survival training.
5. Abbas Camp (Kotli) – A base for fidayeen (suicide attackers), training 15 terrorists at a time.

In Pakistan:

1. Sarjal Camp (Sialkot) – Linked to the killing of 4 J&K police officers in March 2025.
2. Mehmoona Joya Camp (Sialkot) – Used to plan the Pathankot Air Force base attack.
3. Markaz Taiba (Muridke) – Training centre for 26/11 Mumbai attackers Kasab and Headley.
4. Markaz Subhanallah (Bahawalpur) – Headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed for recruitment and training.

Even though the operation is over, the situation at the border remains tense. Pakistan is now firing across the LoC — not just small arms, but also heavy artillery. Reports say they are firing randomly, even targeting civilians. So far, 10 people have died, and about 20 are injured.

The Indian Army says it is responding proportionally. Local authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are moving villagers to safer areas. In border areas of Jammu and Punjab, schools and colleges are closed — including in Ferozepur, Pathankot, and Amritsar.

Several northern Indian airports have also been shut, including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar. Some others like Bhuj and Rajkot were shut temporarily. IndiGo Airlines has cancelled around 160 flights, and 35 flights were cancelled in Delhi alone. Passengers are advised to check flight status.

India is also conducting mock drills across 244 districts — the largest since 1971. These drills include evacuation, first aid, and air raid siren practices. These districts are seen as sensitive because they are near borders, coasts, or have important infrastructure.

The next 24 hours are critical, as everything now depends on how Pakistan responds.

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