In the wee hours of 7 May 2025, between 01:05 and 01:30 A.M., the Indian Armed Forces launched a targeted operation, called 'Operation Sindoor', targeting key terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation came in response to the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April, which claimed the lives of 25 innocent Indians and one Nepali national. In a highly coordinated tri-service attack, the Indian Air Force, Army, and Navy together carried out what officials described as the most expansive military operation since the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. The strikes targeted nine key locations: Bahawalpur, Muridke, Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal, sites India claims were operating as hubs for anti-India terror activities. Operation Sindoor relied heavily on intelligence inputs, satellite and drone surveillance, and stand-off weaponry like SCALP (Storm Shadow) and HAMMER precision-guided munitions, fired from within Indian territory. Indian jets used radar blackouts and a deceptive NOTAM to execute the strike undetected. Suicide drones like the SkyStriker were also deployed, capable of delivering 10kg warheads to tactical targets. According to officials, these strikes were designed to minimise civilian casualties. The government said that the goal of the operation was to "pre-empt and deter cross-border terrorism" without escalating tensions. "Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature," the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated in a press briefing. What Operation Sindoor Achieved Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that over 100 terrorists were killed in the strikes. Among those reportedly killed was Abdul Rauf Azhar, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader involved in the IC-814 hijacking and the 2002 Daniel Pearl killing. Other high-value targets included Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed, all connected to the IC-814 hijacking and the Pulwama terror attack of 2019. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, confirmed, "The target systems given to the Air Force included the notorious training camps at Bahawalpur and Muridke. Through critical target system analysis, we used precision air-to-surface guided munitions to annihilate these camps while avoiding civilian harm." He further added that the Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Pakistan's Punjab province suffered major damage. "Its only runway has been declared non-operational for a week," Bharti said. Escalation And Retaliation Pakistan subsequently carried out heavy shelling along the Line of Control, killing Indian civilians and soldiers, and injuring over 50. On the night of 7–8 May, Pakistan launched missile and drone attacks on Indian military installations across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Key sites like Awantipura, Srinagar, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Nal, Bhuj and Adampur were among those targeted. However, India's Integrated Counter-UAS Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 MRSAM, and indigenous Akash missiles successfully intercepted most of these threats. India retaliated on 8 May, hitting Pakistan's air defence radars and systems in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during a briefing, said, "There has been extensive damage to crucial Pakistani airbases like Skardu, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari. Also, loss of air defence weapons and radars made the defence of Pakistani airspace untenable." Amid escalating exchanges, Pakistani drones attempted drone strikes into Jammu, Udhampur, and Pathankot, but were neutralised by Indian air defences. Air Marshal Bharti confirmed, "Commencing 8:00 P.M. on 8 May, Pakistani UAVs and drones targeted 12 IAF bases. All were successfully intercepted by our AD guns, Pechoras, SAMAR systems, and Garud snipers." He noted India had also downed several Pakistani jets, potentially F-16s or J-10Cs, but refrained from specifying numbers. "We have the numbers and we are getting into technical details to establish it," he said. The Indian Navy also played an equally important role. Within 96 hours of the Pahalgam attack, Vice Admiral Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations, confirmed that the Indian Navy deployed its carrier battle group, submarines, and surface ships in full combat readiness. This presence, he said, forced Pakistani naval units into a 'defensive posture'. Air Marshal Bharti concluded in the final press briefing that "Operation Sindoor had destroyed terror camps, achieving its objectives with precision. Have we achieved our objectives of decimating the terrorist camps? The answer is a thumping yes, and the results are for the whole world to see." Ceasefire Brokered On 10 May 2025, following days of heightened tension, India and Pakistan agreed to a "full and immediate ceasefire." US President Donald Trump announced the breakthrough on Twitter, stating, "After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE." Though India did not address US involvement, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the ceasefire, stating that Pakistan's DGMO Major General Kashif Abdullah placed a direct call to India's DGMO Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai at 15:35 IST during which both sides agreed to stop all firing across land, air, and sea from 5 P.M. IST onwards. Despite Pakistan violating the ceasefire, hours after it was brokered, the Indian Army gave an appropriate response, after which peace has been observed. Despite agreeing to the ceasefire, India refused to reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty, suspended after the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan responded by threatening to pull out of the Simla Agreement of 1972, and both countries expelled their diplomats.
11 May 2025
Prerna Daswani
