New Delhi: In a decisive response to the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, India carried out precision strikes under “Operation Sindoor” targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), senior officials announced on Wednesday.
Briefing the media, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, accompanied by Col. Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, stated that the attack was intended to derail efforts to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Pahalgam attack was marked by extreme brutality—victims were executed at close range, often in front of their families, who were deliberately terrorised. The motive was clear: to send a chilling message and destabilise peace efforts in the region,” Misri said.
Highlighting the urgency of India’s response, Misri noted that intelligence reports warned of more imminent attacks. “Our agencies had credible information indicating further planned terrorist activities. This made it imperative to act pre-emptively and responsibly to prevent more bloodshed.”
On Wednesday morning, coordinated strikes were carried out by the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy at nine terror-linked locations—five in PoJK and four in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot. The targets were reportedly linked to top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), both implicated in orchestrating terrorist activities against India.
“The strikes were carefully calibrated—measured, proportionate, and non-escalatory,” Misri stated, emphasising that the objective was to dismantle terror infrastructure, not provoke wider conflict.
Taking aim at Pakistan, Misri pointed out the lack of concrete action from Islamabad against terror groups operating from its soil. “Despite two weeks having passed since the Pahalgam attack, there has been no visible step by Pakistan to rein in these groups. It became essential to bring the perpetrators and planners to justice,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Defence, all nine targets were successfully hit, underscoring the precision and coordination of the operation.
