Pakistan’s military reported that Indian forces struck six locations within its territory and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) early Wednesday, killing eight people and injuring dozens, in an operation India codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor.’ The strikes, which India described as targeting nine terrorist infrastructure sites to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, have escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed strikes in Bahawalpur, Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Muridke, Chak Amru, and Bhimber, alleging civilian casualties, including a 3-year-old child, and damage to civilian structures like a mosque in Bahawalpur. “This is an unprovoked act of war,” Chaudhry said, claiming Pakistan shot down five Indian aircraft, a claim India denied, asserting all assets and pilots were safe. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed a “robust response,” stating, “Pakistan will retaliate at a time and place of its choosing.”
India’s Ministry of Defence, in a 1:44 AM IST statement, said ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeted nine sites linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, including their headquarters in Muridke and Bahawalpur, respectively. The tri-services operation, involving precision strikes by Rafale jets using Scalp and Hammer munitions, was described as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” avoiding Pakistani military facilities. India reported neutralizing around 80 terrorists and emphasized restraint in target selection. The operation was a direct response to the Pahalgam attack, which killed 25 Indian civilians and one Nepali citizen, an act India blamed on Pakistan-backed militants.
Heavy cross-border shelling followed along the Line of Control, with Pakistan’s artillery fire in Poonch and Rajouri killing three Indian civilians, according to the Indian Army. Northern Indian airports, including Srinagar and Jammu, suspended operations, and Pakistan closed its airspace, impacting regional flights.
The international community called for restraint. U.S. President Donald Trump, informed of the strikes, said, “I hope it ends very quickly,” while U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern over a potential India-Pakistan confrontation. India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefed U.S., U.K., and other counterparts, asserting the strikes’ precision.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a violation of sovereignty, claiming they endangered commercial air traffic. Social media posts from Pakistan showed explosions in Bahawalpur, while Indian leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, hailed the operation, posting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Jai Hind.”
As both nations remain on high alert, India plans a detailed briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ later today, while Pakistan’s reported retaliatory measures, including missile tests, signal a volatile standoff.
