‘Exactly how it happened on Oct 7…': Is there a connection between Hamas and Pahalgam attack? - The Economic Times Video
A deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, left 26 dead and dozens injured. The Resistance Force (TRF), linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. Analysts and officials are drawing comparisons to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, questioning ideological links and regional terror strategies. India has responded with strong diplomatic and military actions against Pakistan.
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India.com
15 minutes ago
- India.com
Asim Munir Courts Fresh Remark, Labels What India Calls Terrorism As Legitimate Struggle
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir has said that Pakistan will continue to provide diplomatic, political, and moral support to the people of Kashmir, and also stated that what India terms as terrorism is the "legitimate struggle". His statement comes over a month after New Delhi and Islamabad reached a ceasefire agreement after exchanging several airstrikes for multiple days. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Munir made the controversial statement as he was addressing a passing out parade at the Pakistan Naval Academy on Saturday. The Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Munir said, 'What India tends to term as terrorism is in fact the legitimate struggle as per the international conventions." "Those who endeavoured to subdue the will of Kashmiri people and sought conflict elimination instead of resolution have made it more relevant and pronounced through their own actions,' he added. In his apparent support for the people of Kashmir, Munir said, 'We stand firm with the Kashmiri people for their right of self-determination for the resolution of the internationally recognised long-standing dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir." As per HT, Munir said, "Pakistan will always continue to provide political, diplomatic, and moral support to the valiant people of... Jammu and Kashmir." Munir On Indian Attacks The Pakistan Army Chief also said that India has 'twice undertaken acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan', under the 'pretext of counter terrorism'. Praising his own country, Munir also stated that 'Pakistan, despite grave provocations, acted with restraint and maturity and demonstrated its commitment to regional peace and stability...' He also added, "The assumption that Pakistan would have any constraints in the face of any future violation of its sovereignty reflects a dangerous misreading of strategic fundamentals…" The speech echoed Munir's fiery address at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 16, just days before the Pahalgam terror attack, where he provocatively declared Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein.' Operation Sindoor The Indian Armed Forces, on May 7, launched 'Operation Sindoor' targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This action was taken to avenge the brutal Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 individuals were killed. Following the launch of Operation Sindoor, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, and both nations exchanged a series of attacks. However, a ceasefire agreement was reached after the Pakistan Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart.
NDTV
23 minutes ago
- NDTV
Exclusive: New Satellite Pics Show India's Attack Split Pak Terror Camps Into Half
New Delhi: New high-resolution satellite imagery with NDTV shows, for the first time, the impact of Indian precision strikes against two major terrorist training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during Operation Sindoor last month. While the armed forces have not identified the weapons used in the attack, it is believed that both were targeted with loitering drones. The images are of two camps, the Syedna Bilal Camp in Muzaffarabad, 36 kilometres west of Tangdhar in Kashmir, and the Kotli Gulpur camp, which is 40 kilometres west of Rajouri in Jammu. Both were struck in the early hours of May 7, when India targeted multiple terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and PoK following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians lost their lives. The Syedna Bilal Camp is in Muzaffarabad; the Kotli Gulpur camp is 40 kilometres west of Rajouri in Jammu. High res here It was the worst terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir since the Chattisinghpora massacre in March 2000, in which 36 Sikhs were killed. Syedna Bilal The Syedna Bilal Camp in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was a key staging area for terrorists affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed. The camp also served to train terrorists in weapons handling, jungle survival and explosives and ordnance. The before and after images of the strike show a group of interconnected buildings (81 x 92 feet) having been taken out in what appears to be a drone strike. There is no collateral damage in the area. According to army sources, recruits were sent to Syedna Bilal for specialised training in June 2023. They were being prepared to be launched across the Line of Control in Uri and Keran sectors with the aim of targeting the railway bridge between Kathua and Ramban. Post training, these terrorists were transported to staging camps and launch pads in Pakistan's Punjab, where they received specialised communication training. After the training, they were divided into groups of four to eight terrorists and were infiltrated into India through the International Border between March and May 2024. The majority of terror attacks in Jammu last year were executed by these terrorists. Top JeM terrorists, including Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, Amir JeM, Abdullah Jehadi and Ashiq Negroo, regularly visited the camp. Guest houses were also built near the camp for senior JeM commanders visiting Muzaffarabad. Army sources said the camps are known to be backed and protected by Pakistan's intelligence, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which provides training, weapons, and safe passage for terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. ''These images of precision strikes at the terrorist camps at Kotli and Muzzafarabad, without any collateral damage, are a clear display of Indian capability,'' Lieutenant General Satish Dua (retired), who commanded the Srinagar-based 15 Corps responsible for military operations in the Kashmir Valley, said. ''For decades, we felt helpless that despite knowing their precise locations, we could not strike at the terror camps due to self-imposed restrictions in the nuclear backdrop. But Pahalgam changed all that," he added. These Maxar satellite images of the strike on the Syedna Bilal Camp in Muzaffarabad back on-ground photographs of the attack published by the German news outlet TRT Deutsch. Kotli The second set of images focuses on the Gulpur camp in Kotli. It shows buildings which are believed to be a base camp of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group involved in attacks in the Rajouri-Poonch area of Jammu. The satellite imagery shows a structure, 110 x 30 feet, having been split right down the centre. The roof of a smaller structure right next to this building was also severely damaged. Before and after images of damage at a base camp of the LeT group involved in attacks in Jammu's Rajouri-Poonch area. High res here The government believes that the terrorists trained here had carried out attacks in Poonch in 2023 and on a bus of pilgrims last year. The camp was constructed between August and September 2022. According to army sources, the training facility was a well-established LeT training centre, where a large number of terrorists, including suicide bombers, were undergoing advanced combat training. The site, which had also had residential facilities, was harbouring 30-50 terrorists and their trainers. It was used by terrorists who have been trying to revive terrorism in the Poonch and Rajouri region in recent years. The training facility was being actively used by more than one terror group, army sources said. It was a known centre for guerrilla warfare, survival training and arms training to Pakistani terror outfits. The camp was temporarily shut down post the Balakot strike by India in 2019, but is said to have resumed training activities for terrorists in 2020. A structure was split right down the middle at the Gulpur camp in Kotli. High res here "Much of our attention during Operation Sindoor has been focused on the strikes at Muridke, Bahawalpur, and attacks on Pakistani airfields. However, the strikes carried out on terror camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir are equally significant," Lt General DS Hooda (retired), who was India's Northern Army Commander when the Army launched 'surgical strikes' into Pakistani territory in 2016, said. ''It is from these camps that terrorists carry out close reconnaissance of infiltration routes, and the final training and planning before entering into Indian territory. Destruction of this infrastructure would have an immediate effect on the morale of terrorists and their ability to conduct attacks in both the Jammu and Kashmir regions," he said. Operation Sindoor India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and struck nine infrastructure sites linked to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. The strikes lasted from 1:05 AM to 1:30 AM. While four of the targets were in Pakistan - Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot, and a village near Shakar Garh, five targets were in PoK - Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimber, Rawalakot, and Chakswari. It is believed that more than 100 terrorists were killed in the strikes.
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Did Political Constraints Cause IAF Losses in Operation Sindoor?
Published : Jun 30, 2025 17:29 IST - 5 MINS READ After a statement by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, in Singapore on June 1 that the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost some aircraft in the battle with Pakistan, another armed forces officer has mentioned the loss of aircraft and claimed that this was because of the 'constraints' imposed by the political leadership. This has created enough heat in the country, to the extent that the establishment was forced to issue a clarification, claiming that the officer was misquoted. Captain Shiv Kumar, Defence Attache in Indonesia, said that the IAF lost jets in the early phase of Operation Sindoor as a result of restrictions imposed by the political leadership. He was making a presentation of the success of Operation Sindoor as part of a worldwide outreach by India, at the Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma, on June 10. The video of this presentation, intriguingly, became public knowledge more than a fortnight later, June 29. The event was titled, 'Analysis of the Pakistan-India Air Battle and Indonesia's anticipatory strategies from the perspective of air power'. Also Read | Compellence, not deterrence, is the way forward In the video, Captain Kumar is clearly heard saying: 'We did lose some aircraft and that happened only because of the constraint given by the political leadership not to attack their military establishment or their air defences.' He was responding to a submission by an earlier speaker that India lost a 'lot of' aircraft. Capt Kumar starts his rebuttal saying: 'I may not agree with him that we lost so many aircraft but I do agree that we did lose some aircraft.' He adds: 'After the losses, we changed tactics and we went for their military installations. So, we first achieved suppression of enemy air defence and destruction of enemy air defence and then that's why all our attacks could easily go through using surface-to-air missiles, BrahMos, surface-to-surface missiles.' On the sidelines of the Singapore Shangri-La Dialogue security forum, General Anil Cahuhan told Bloomberg TV: 'What I can say is, on 7th [May 7] in the initial stages, there were losses, but the numbers—that's not important. What was important is why did these losses occur. So, we rectified that and then went back on 7th, 8th, and 10th—and on 10th in large numbers to hit air bases in Pakistan. [We] penetrated all their air defences with impunity. We carried out precision strikes.' This issue has since blown over with the Central government refusing to answer questions over the loss of aircraft. In fact, the CDS was viciously targeted on social media by right-wing trolls aligned with the ruling BJP, just as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was, earlier, for evading a question on loss of IAF fighter planes. Political constraints But the second issue is far more important because Captain Kumar refers to the 'political constraint'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repeatedly said that the armed forces had been given full operational freedom to respond to the Pahalgam attacks. This assertion by Captain Kumar runs contrary to the Prime Minister's statement. Captain Kumar's assertion is in line with the Press Information Bureau press release of May 7, time stamped 1.44 am, which said: 'Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.' But the fact that this was a political quagmire was not lost on the establishment. The Indian Mission in Indonesia put out a statement the same day the video went viral, June 29. This was posted on the social media platform X at 7.02 pm: 'His [The Defence Attache's] remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker. The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood. It was also explained that the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure and the Indian response was non-escalatory.' Also Read | Operation Sindoor blurred the lines between security and showbiz Describing the political decision as a tactical error, Sanjeev Gupta, former secretary in the Union Home Ministry, said that if there was a conscious decision at the political level not to attack Pakistan's air force establishments on day 1 of Operation Sindoor, there was no harm in admitting it. 'The idea might have been just to focus on terror camps and end it there. In strategic matters, tactical errors can take place. A military attache shouldn't be left to make a startling revelation in an Indonesian university.' Pravin Sawhney, a former Army officer and writer, said on his YouTube channel, Force Magazine: 'Shiv Kumar has revealed the reason which no one knew so an air force is in a battle, the first target is the air defence because the most immediate danger stems from air defence. We call it SEAD—suppression of enemy air defence. If this [air defence] is not taken out you will suffer losses.' Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that this was a 'direct indictment of the Modi government'. He added: 'No wonder they are ducking our demand for a special session of know they have compromised national security, and they have terrified of what the Congress party will expose before the people of India.' In a post on the party said: 'There are several unanswered questions related to the untimely ceasefire – especially when India actually had an upper hand in the escalation.' It demanded that the Prime Minister answer these questions, including why an all-party meeting was not being convened under the PM's leadership and why a special session of Parliament was not convened. The officer's matter-of-fact statement in Indonesia means that more doubts will crop up over the conduct of Operation Sindoor. The opposition is questioning the timing of the ceasefire and wants to know exactly what the US had asked India to do when the country had the upper hand.
