In a significant military operation early Wednesday, the Indian Armed Forces conducted precision strikes on nine terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), responding to last month’s deadly Pahalgam attack. Codenamed “Operation Sindoor,” the strikes specifically targeted terrorist infrastructure reportedly used to plan and direct attacks against India.
According to an official statement released by India’s Ministry of Defence, the operation was characterized as “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature,” with a deliberate decision to avoid targeting Pakistani military facilities. The statement emphasized that India had “demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
The carefully planned operation comes in direct response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali national were killed when militants opened fire on tourists in the Baisaran Valley. The attack, which primarily targeted Hindu tourists, was one of the deadliest in the region in recent years.
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the Ministry of Defence stated, connecting the military response directly to the Pahalgam incident.
The nine targets struck during the operation included locations associated with known terrorist groups across multiple regions. According to the information released by Indian authorities, these sites included:
- Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
- Markaz Taiba in Muridke, associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
- Sarjal in Tehra Kalan, connected to Jaish-e-Mohammed
- Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot, identified as a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) facility
- Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala, linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba
- Markaz Abbas in Kotli, associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed
- Maskar Raheel Shahid in Kotli, identified as a Hizbul Mujahideen base
- Shawai Nalla Camp in Muzaffarabad, connected to Lashkar-e-Taiba
- Syedna Bilal Camp in Muzaffarabad, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed
Military analysts note that the targets were selected for their significance in the terrorist infrastructure, with several locations being long-associated with groups previously implicated in attacks against India. The Bahawalpur facility, for instance, has long been considered a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, while the Muridke location has historical connections to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
