Operation Sindoor: India strikes 9 terror bases across Pakistan, PoK in response to Pahalgam attack

The Indian Armed Forces have launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure across multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), the government said on Wednesday.

The strikes come in response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including one Nepali citizen.

As per the government of India statement, nine locations were targeted.

"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," the statement from the Ministry of Defence said.

While the Indian government has not publicly named the locations, Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary identified the areas as Kotli, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Chak Amru, Bhimber, Gulpur, Sialkot, and two sites in Muzaffarabad, reported NDTV.

The operation follows the killing of 26 civilians in the deadly Pahalgam attack, which Indian intelligence agencies have linked to groups operating from across the border. Muridke, for instance, is known to be the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, led by Hafiz Saeed, while Bahawalpur is a base for Jaish-e-Mohammad, founded by Masood Azhar. Both groups have been involved in previous attacks on Indian soil.

The Indian government said a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor would follow later in the day.