Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Pakistan to Avenge Pahalgam Terror Attack
On May 7, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, executing 24 precision airstrikes targeting nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This swift 25-minute mission was a direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, including 25 Indian civilians and one Nepalese national.
The Indian Air Force deployed Rafale jets equipped with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs to carry out the strikes. The targeted locations included Bahawalpur, Muridke, Tehra Kalan, Sialkot, Bhimber, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad, known hubs for terrorist organizations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
India emphasized that the operation was “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” ensuring that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. However, Pakistan condemned the strikes as an “act of war,” reporting civilian casualties, including the death of a child in a mosque in Bahawalpur .
In retaliation, Pakistan initiated artillery shelling along the Line of Control, resulting in the deaths of three civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan also claimed to have downed five Indian jets, a claim India has denied .
The international community, including the United Nations and the United States, has expressed concern over the escalating tensions and urged both nations to exercise restraint .
