Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back at Terror Hubs

Operation Sindoor was a combined military attack by the Indian Armed Forces on May 7, 2025, on nine terror group-related targets in Pakistan and PoK. Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that resulted in the death of 26 civilians and was connected to Pakistani-based terror groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The goals were to demolish substantial infrastructure used by LeT, JeM, Hizbul Mujahideen, and associated groups, targeting buildings with a history of involvement in major terror operations and attempts at Indian incursion.

Conducted at 1:44 am, Operation Sindoor was the first joint military operation after 1971 undertaken by the Army, Navy, and Air Force using precision-guided weaponry and kamikaze drones (loitering munitions) for extremely targeted strikes. The operation was calibrated and non-escalatory in nature and was aimed against neither Pakistani military, civilian, nor economic establishments but terror infrastructure only. Prime targets included the Jaish-e-Mohammed complex in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Muridke.

The raid demonstrated India's determination to target the architects of the Pahalgam attack and dismantle terror infrastructure along the border. Labeled as "Sindoor" to reflect national determination and sorrow, especially for the couples who were newly married and lost their lives during the Pahalgam attack, the raids generated increased regional tension, as Pakistan put its air force on stand-by alert and threatened reprisals. Indian leaders, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, emphasized the specificity and restraint of the operation, with politicians rallying to the support of the army, highlighting national unity in the light of terrorism.