India avenges Pahalgam attack; destroys 9 terror targets in Pakistan, PoK under Op Sindoor

New Delhi: India's armed forces destroyed nine terrorist infrastructure including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a 25-minute-long "measured and "non-escalatory" missile and drone strike early Wednesday in retaliation to the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India decided to carry out the "proportionate" strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam attack to justice as there was "no demonstrable step" from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control. Misri said India's actions were in line with the UN Security Council's statement about holding perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the Pahalgam terror attack accountable. Under 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian military targeted Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot and LeT's base in Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and its camp in Muzaffarabad's Shawai Nalla, military officials said. The operation was conducted from 1:05 am to 1:30 am and all the targets were neutralised with clinical efficiency, two women officers -- Col Sophia Qureshi of the Army's Corps of Signals and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot of the IAF -- said at a media briefing alongside Misri. Around 15 minutes after the operation ended, the defence ministry said: "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."

It said the actions by the Indian Armed forces have been "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature and that no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted". "India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," the ministry said. Military sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring 'Operation Sindoor' closely. Following the operation, he held a meeting of the Union Cabinet and hailed the Indian armed forces for successful strikes. In his remarks, Misri said the Indian military carried out the "measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible" military strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure to "deter and pre-empt" any further terrorist strikes. Hours after the Indian operation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply to this act of war imposed by India". Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, said Islamabad is ready to "wrap up" tensions with New Delhi, if it de-escalates the situation.The Pakistan Foreign Ministry described the Indian strikes as "unprovoked" and that the Indian military has violated Pakistan's sovereignty using standoff weapons. The Pakistan army said at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in these strikes. JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar acknowledged that 10 members of his family and four close associates were killed in India's missile attack on the outfit's headquarters in Bahawalpur. Indian officials said the strikes on all nine targets including Bahawalpur and Muridke were successful. Muridke, located a short distance from Lahore, is home to a sprawling "markaz" or base of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Bahawalpur is the main stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). In Washington, US President Donald Trump said he hoped that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end "very quickly". "It's a shame, he said , adding "we just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office)." "I just hope it ends very quickly," he said when asked about the Indian actions on Pakistan.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts in several countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In his remarks, Misri said "Our intelligence monitoring of Pakistan-based terrorist modules indicated that further attacks against India were impending." "Earlier this morning as you would be aware India exercised its right to respond and pre-empt as well as deter more such cross-border attacks," he said. "These actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible. They focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists likely to be sent across to India," Misri said. "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," he said. It was the largest number of civilian casualties in a terrorist attack in India since the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. "Family members were deliberately traumatized through the manner of the killing, accompanied by the exhortation that they should take back the message," Misri said.

Wing Commander Singh said Indian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to Pakistani "misadventure, if any, to escalate the situation". The women officers, providing an overview of the 'Operation Sindoor', said the strikes on the terror camps was undertaken through precision capability, using weapons with careful selection of warheads that ensured no collateral damage. "The point of impact in each of the target was a specific building or a group of buildings," said Singh. The briefing by Misri and the two women officers began with a video of several terror attacks including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai strikes and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing which were carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups. The name for the action -- Operation Sindoor ' is a reference to the red vermillion that married Hindu women wear to signify their married status. In the Pahalgam attack, husbands of several women were killed in front of them, including an Indian Navy officer. In a post on X in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)." "The world must show zero tolerance for terrorism," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. After the Indian strikes, Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur in Punjab. "All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said. Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan..The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack..In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, Modi on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".