In a decisive military response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, the Indian Armed Forces on Wednesday carried out coordinated precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan. Codenamed Operation Sindoor, the strikes targeted nine identified terror camps linked to Pakistan-based groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), marking a calibrated yet forceful retaliation aimed at dismantling cross-border terrorism.
Briefing the media in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh outlined the strategic objectives and outcomes of the early morning operation, which involved assets from the Army, Navy and Air Force. The strikes, executed between 1:05 am and 1:30 am, were planned to ensure surgical precision and prevent civilian casualties.
“Operation Sindoor was launched to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families,” Wing Commander Singh said. “Nine terror sites—five in PoK and four in Pakistan—were targeted and successfully destroyed.” She underlined that every location was selected based on credible intelligence and assessed for minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.
Colonel Qureshi presented operational details, naming key LeT and JeM camps neutralised in the action. Among them was the Shawai Nallah camp in Muzaffarabad, a major LeT facility that trained operatives involved in the Sonamarg (October 2024), Gulmarg (October 2024), and Pahalgam (April 2025) attacks. Another major target, the Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad, served as a jungle warfare and explosives training site for JeM cadres.
Qureshi also highlighted the destruction of the Gulpur camp in Kotli, 30 km from the Line of Control (LoC), associated with the 2023 Poonch ambush and the June 2024 pilgrimage bus bombing. The Barnala camp in Bhimber and a second Kotli site used for fedayeen training were also hit. “These camps represent the operational depth of LeT’s infrastructure and were instrumental in training terrorists for attacks on Indian soil,” she said.
In addition to the strikes in PoK, key terror hubs deep inside Pakistan, including Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Sialkot, were also targeted. Muridke, long identified as a nerve centre of Lashkar’s operations and where 26/11 conspirators David Headley and Ajmal Kasab trained, was among the facilities struck. Video footage of the camp’s destruction was presented during the briefing.
Foreign Secretary Misri underscored the barbarity of the Pahalgam attack, calling it “the most savage terror assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.” He revealed that the victims, including a Nepalese national, were executed at close range in front of family members. “The terrorists issued warnings to survivors, clearly seeking to spread terror and halt the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He also detailed the broader architecture of terrorism in Pakistan, pointing out that intelligence agencies had mapped out 21 active terror centres across the region. “Our action was necessary to deter imminent attacks. It was proportionate, non-escalatory and conducted with maximum restraint,” Misri said.
Importantly, he called out Pakistan’s role in shielding the Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. Misri revealed that Pakistan pressured the UN Security Council to remove references to TRF from its April 25 press statement. “This is despite India sharing detailed inputs with the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee in 2023 and 2024 about TRF’s role as a front for banned Pakistani groups,” he noted.
He also cited the example of Sajid Mir, a 26/11 handler whom Pakistan initially claimed was dead, only to later arrest under international pressure. “Pakistan continues to mislead global platforms like the FATF while offering safe haven to the world’s most dangerous terrorists,” Misri said.
India’s Ministry of Defence issued a statement confirming the operation, calling it a measured, non-escalatory response designed to degrade the infrastructure used to launch cross-border terrorism. “No Pakistani military facilities were targeted. The focus was solely on terror bases,” it clarified.
The strikes mark a new chapter in India’s counter-terror doctrine, signalling that cross-border attacks on civilians will draw swift and precise retaliation. As the dust settles over the now-destroyed terror camps, Operation Sindoor stands as a clear message—India will act decisively to protect its people and sovereignty.
