A blow-by-blow account of Operation Sindoor - India's response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack

Mint

11-05-2025

Operation Sindoor: A day after India and Pakistan reached a 'bilateral understanding' to halt firing and military action on land and in air, Air Marshal AK Bharti on Sunday said Operation Sindoor effectively destroyed terror camps, achieving its objectives with precision.
In a press briefing on 11 May, the Director General Military Operations (DGMOS) of all three services – the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force – delved into the details of the 'measured and non-escalatory' operation targeting terror hideouts and training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The operation was launched in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April that killed 26 people.
The Government announced a countrywide civil defence mock drill to be held on Wednesday. The drills included blackouts, air raid sirens, evacuation protocols, and public awareness sessions to prepare civilians for emergencies and wartime situations.
Dubbed as 'Operation Sindoor', India launched a joint military operation targeting terror hideouts in Pakistan and PoK. The operation lasted for around 25 minutes, in which 9 targets were hit.
1:05 a.m. IST: The Indian Air Force commenced 'Operation Sindoor' with precision airstrikes against nine designated terrorist camps located inside Pakistan and PoK. This marked the first Indian strike across the international boundary since 1971.
1:05 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. IST: Over approximately 25 minutes, the Indian Air Force successfully hit all nine targets, which included training facilities and hideouts in Punjab (Pakistan), Lahore, Bahawalpur, Muridke, and various locations in PoK. The strikes were focused solely on terrorist infrastructure; no Pakistani military installations were targeted
On the night of 8 May 2025, at around 8:00 pm, Pakistan launched a large-scale drone and missile assault targeting multiple cities across India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
According to Indian Army, approximately 500 small drones were deployed in coordinated swarms, striking 24 cities over a period of about 210 minutes, until roughly 11:30 pm.
The targeted locations included key military sites in Jammu, Pathankot, Satwari, Samba, Ranbir Singh Pura, and Arnia, as well as urban centres such as Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Bhatinda in Punjab; Phalodi and Uttarlai in Rajasthan; and Bhuj in Gujarat.
India's air defence systems, employing an array of anti-missile technologies such as the L70, ZU-23, Schilka, and Akash, successfully intercepted and neutralised the majority of the incoming drones and missiles, preventing damage to critical infrastructure and avoiding casualties.
Eight missiles directed at Satwari, Samba, R S Pura, and Arnia were all intercepted, with Indian officials likening the attack's nature to a 'Hamas-style' rocket barrage.
The Indian Army described the drone strikes as attempts to spread panic or gather intelligence rather than cause mass destruction, given that many drones appeared unarmed
These attacks continued until morning, which IAFs countered.
Air Marshal AK Bharti revealed that, 'Commencing about 8 PM local time on 8th May, several Pakistani unmanned Aerial Systems, Drones, Combat vehicles attacked multiple IAF bases. These included Jammu, Udhampur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Bathinda, Dalhousie, Jaisalmer... these were almost simultaneous and they came in waves. All our air defence guns and other systems were waiting for them. All these waves were neutralised by our trained crew using the air defence systems that they have and also some of them were utilised using our legacy systems like Pechora, IAF SAMAR. There was no damage on ground from these incursions and these mass raids from the Pakistani side.'
Bharti also stated, "While the drone attacks were being launched from somewhere closer to Lahore, the enemy had allowed their civilian aircraft also to continue to fly out of Lahore, not only their own aircrafts but also international passenger aircaft which is quite insensitive and we had to exercise extreme caution."
Adding to this, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said, as quoted by ANI, 'On the night of 8-9 May, they (Pakistan) flew drones and aircraft into our airspace all across the borders and made largely unsuccessful attempts to target numerous military infrastructure. Violations on the LoC by Pakistan also commenced yet again and precipitated into fierce arty engagements.'
He added that India responded in a swift, coordinated and calibrated manner by striking Pakistan's Air bases, command centers, military infrastructure, air defence systems across the entire Western Front.
"The bases we stuck includes Chaklala, Rafiq, Rahim Yar Khan sending a clear message that aggression will not be tolerated. This was followed by strikes at Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad. We have the capability to target every system at these bases and more," Air Marshal AK Bharti said.
India responded with precision airstrikes on several Pakistani Air Force bases and military sites, including Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan.
On 10 May, India and Pakistan experienced a tense and volatile day despite a newly agreed ceasefire. The ceasefire was supposed to take effect from 5:00 pm IST, following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries.
However, Pakistan violated the ceasefire within hours of its commencement by firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu city, Akhnoor sector, Srinagar, and deploying drones near the border.
Explosions were reported across Pakistan, including in cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan officially launched a retaliatory operation named Operation Bunyan al-Marsus on 10 May, signalling a strong response to India's Operation Sindoor.
This operation involved missile and drone attacks on Indian military installations and civilian areas.
There was a persistent lull on Sunday, 11 May after a tense night.
Providing key details of communication with the Pakistan DGMO, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said, 'My communication with the Pak DGMO was conducted at 15:35 hrs yesterday and resulted in cessation of cross-border firing and air intrusions by either side with effect from 17:00 hrs, 10th of May, after he proposed that we cease hostilities. We also decided to further speak on the 12th of May at 12:00 hrs to discuss the modalities that would enable the longevity of this understanding.'