In the early hours of Wednesday, May 7, 2025, India conducted precision strikes against what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Codenamed "Operation Sindoor," the strikes were a response to the deadly terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the death of 26 civilians.
The Indian government stated that the operation was "focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature," emphasizing that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. According to reports, Indian forces used Rafale fighter jets equipped with Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer precision-guided munitions. Indian Navy assets were also involved. The strikes targeted nine locations, including Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistan, as well as areas in PoK such as Kotli and Muzaffarabad. These locations are allegedly strongholds of terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pakistan has strongly condemned the strikes, calling it an "act of war" and a violation of "established norms of inter-state relations". Pakistan's Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) stated that Indian forces struck six places with 24 impacts, resulting in eight deaths and 22 injuries. Pakistan's defense minister claimed that India lost five planes during the operation, but Indian government sources denied these claims. Pakistan's information minister further claimed that Pakistani forces shot down a drone and a third Indian jet.
Following the strikes, Srinagar airport was shut down for civilians, and several airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, announced flight disruptions to and from various airports in North India. Tensions between the two countries have escalated, with reports of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan has vowed to retaliate against the attacks at a "time and place of its own choosing".
Operation Sindoor marks the first time since the 1971 war that all three branches of the Indian armed forces – Army, Navy, and Air Force – have jointly engaged in strikes against Pakistan. The Indian Army released a statement saying that the strikes targeted terror infrastructure used to plan and direct attacks against India. The ministry of defense emphasized that India demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and methods of execution.