Did Pakistan army troops attend funeral of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor?

First Post

08-05-2025

Over 70 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in Indian strikes targeting nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Notably, soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani officials were quick to deny any involvement in the incident. However, on Wednesday, funeral prayers held at a terror-linked site in Muridke were attended by Pakistan Army officers, police, and civil officials read more
Several members of the Pakistan Army were present at the funeral. Image: X
A day after 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan was quick to claim that it had 'nothing to do with it'.
But India was unconvinced. On Wednesday, it carried out targeted strikes on nine terror bases located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. These locations were known to be used for planning attacks on India.
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Over 70 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in the strikes, according to reports.
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised to respond, saying he would avenge the 'blood of our innocent martyrs'. India has clearly stated that its strikes were aimed only at terror camps inside Pakistan.
Shortly after the strikes, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, led funeral prayers for men who died in the strike on a terror-linked site in Muridke. Several members of the Pakistan Army were also present at the funeral.
In this explainer, we look at the Pakistani forces who attended the funeral despite Pakistan denying any part in the Pahalgam attack, and what is known so far about the rising tensions between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
Did Pakistani forces attend funeral of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor?
A large number of Pakistan Army and police personnel were seen at the funerals of terrorists killed during India's cross-border strike, Operation Sindoor, according to reports by PTI and CNN-News18.
Notably, the funeral prayer for Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid, and Mudassir was held in Muridke under heavy security.
#BreakingNews | All the people in uniform have turned up for the funeral of all the terrorists who were eliminated in Operation Sindoor
Group Capt MJA Vinod & Lt Gen (R.) Rakesh Sharma share views@AnchorAnandN | #TheRightStand #IndianAirForce #IndianArmy #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/Ww5fxBc1jV — News18 (@CNNnews18) May 7, 2025
Several members of the civil bureaucracy were also present at the funeral, PTI quoted Tabish Qayyum, spokesperson for the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, political wing of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), as saying.
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As per reports, Pakistan Army officers, police, civil officials, and members of the JuD, which was founded by Hafiz Saeed, attended the funeral.
Videos from the scene showed coffins being carried, some draped in the Pakistani flag, with Army personnel participating in the procession.
Sharing the video, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora posted: 'Plotting. Assisting. Killing. Inciting. Shielding. Training. Arming. Nurturing. That's what P-A-K-I-S-T-A-N really stands for. Even after 9/11, 26/11, Abbottabad & now #Pahalgam, how much more proof does the world need?'
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's response, calling the strikes an 'act of war' and warning of retaliation, has also come under increased scrutiny.
Adding to this, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently admitted that the country had for years supported and funded terror groups, calling it 'dirty work' done for foreign interests.
Will Pakistan retaliate?
In a late-night address on Wednesday, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said: 'We make this pledge, that we will avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs.'
Earlier the same day, Pakistan's national security council met and authorised the military to respond in defence of the country's sovereignty 'at a time, place, and manner of its choosing'.
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ALSO READ | From Operation Vijay to Operation Sindoor: India's military operations against Pakistan have evolved
Meanwhile, Pakistan launched one of the most intense rounds of artillery and mortar shelling seen in years, targeting forward villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
CNN-News18 reported that at least 15 people, including four children and a soldier, were killed, and 57 others were injured.
The White Knight Corps, the official handle of the Indian Army's 16 Corps, confirmed that Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of the 5 Field Regiment died in the shelling by Pakistan.
The attack forced hundreds of people to flee their homes or seek shelter in underground bunkers. Several houses, vehicles, and public buildings, including a gurdwara, were damaged, especially in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu, and Baramulla and Kupwara in north Kashmir.
Officials said the Indian Army responded strongly and destroyed several enemy posts responsible for the firing.
Operation Sindoor
In a carefully planned 25-minute operation carried out early Wednesday, the Indian armed forces targeted and destroyed nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The strike was described as 'measured' and 'non-escalatory,' and was a direct response to the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
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India has clearly stated that its strikes were aimed only at terror camps inside Pakistan. AP
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the decision to launch the 'proportionate' strikes came after Pakistan failed to take any visible steps against terror bases operating from areas under its control.
At a press briefing, Colonel Sophia Qureshi from the Army's Corps of Signals and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force confirmed the mission had been carried out successfully, along with Misri.
Roughly 15 minutes after the operation ended, the Ministry of Defence released a statement: 'A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched 'Operation Sindoor', targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where attacks against India have been planned and directed.'
With inputs from agencies