Operation Sindoor: India Executes Precision Strikes in Pakistan and PoK

In a powerful response to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, India carried out a series of precision strikes early Wednesday, targeting nine terrorist bases located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The coordinated mission, named Operation Sindoor, was executed jointly by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force — all operating from within Indian territory.

The strikes were aimed squarely at terror infrastructure, carefully avoiding any Pakistani military installations. In a statement issued at 1:44 am, the Ministry of Defence described the operation as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory.”

The main targets included the headquarters of two banned terror groups: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke. Both groups have a long history of carrying out attacks on Indian soil, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2019 Pulwama bombing, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Government sources confirmed that the strikes were based on precise intelligence inputs. Indian forces used special precision-guided munitions to hit four targets in Pakistan and five in PoK. Among the locations struck were Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot — all known terror strongholds.

“Operation Sindoor was planned with specific intent: to target the leadership and infrastructure of JeM and LeT, who continue to sponsor cross-border terrorism,” a senior official said.

The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 civilian lives, served as the immediate trigger for the operation. India maintains that it has solid evidence pointing to the involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists.

Following the strikes, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefed U.S. NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the operation. The Indian embassy in Washington released a statement, saying:

“India has credible leads, technical inputs, and survivor testimonies clearly linking Pakistan-based terrorists to the Pahalgam attack. We had expected Pakistan to act against these groups. Instead, it responded with denial and baseless allegations of false flag operations.”

Despite the strong response, officials underscored that India’s actions were designed to avoid a wider escalation, focusing only on terrorist infrastructure and leadership.