Latest news with #Lashkare-Taiba
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Indian Tanks Operated From LoC During Op Sindoor, Took Out Pak Posts
Jammu: T-72 tanks had rolled up to the Line of Control and took part in the May 7 Operation Sindoor that had destroyed terror bases in 9 locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, an officer of the Indian army has told NDTV in an exclusive interview. The tanks - and the BMP-2 armoured personnel carriers - still deployed along the LoC -- indicate the high prepared status of the army despite the ongoing ceasefire with Pakistan. Speaking to NDTV, a Colonel, whose name is not being revealed due to security concerns, said they were put in position ahead of Operation Sindoor to take on specific targets marked out by the army. In the operation, their key role was to destroy the routes through which terrorists could infiltrate into India - as a pre-emptive measure. "We also hit enemy posts which were facilitating infiltration. We know which posts are used as bases for infiltration by the enemy. An informed call was taken -- and the targets were hit," he told NDTV. Given their deadly accuracy, the tanks, he said, were used sparingly to prevent escalation. The T-72s are fitted with 125 mm guns "and we also have missiles that have a range of 4000 meters," he said. "Only a fraction of the equipment was used for to combat ceasefire violation... 300-mm guns and 4000-metre missiles can have devastating effect on the enemy," he said, pointing to India's measured response. He also indicated that the men and equipment were ready to roll whenever orders came. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 - a retaliation against the horrific terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali tourist had died on April 22. The Indian reprisal had taken out the headquarters of Lashkar e-Taiba - a proxy of which had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack - and Jaish-e Mohammad. More than 100 terrorists were killed, a handful of them wanted for various attacks in India including the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in Afghanistan. While the role of the Air Force,and the infantry division of the army was known and applauded, very little was known about the part played by the armoured division. India had said its action was "focused, measured and non-escalatory". Pakistan attempted to hit back immediately with missiles and drones but was trounced. A ceasefire was worked out on May 10. The Centre is now sending a team of 51 political leaders, parliamentarians and former ministers, cutting across party lines, who would travel to key nations to put across India's resolve to tackle terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Islam not just our faith but integral to our army's training, says Pakistan general
The has never made any bones of its Islamic underpinnings, proudly bearing the motto 'Iman, Taqwa, Jihad fiSabilillah' (faith, piety, struggle in the name of God) as it goes about its business. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now So, it was hardly a surprise when Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) said at a press briefing on Sunday that Islam was not just integral to the faith of individual soldiers but was part of the army's training. He was responding to a question whether the name of Pakistan army's operation, ' ', and early morning attacks on Indian civilians and military establishments were guided by the path shown by Allah. His clear admission of Islamabad's remorseless support for jihad literally eliminates any difference between the jihadis in uniform and those without, like Lashkare-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed which have been waging a war against India for decades by infiltrating terrorists into Kashmir and elsewhere, targeting civilians and armed forces. 'Islam is part of not only the belief of each one of us but part of our training. It is part of our faith, it is what drives us,' Lt Gen Sharif said. Elaborating on the army's motto, he said, 'We have an army chief who has a strong belief in it. The leadership and his belief and commitment translates into different operations.' On Pakistan army naming its operation 'Bunyanum Marsoos', he said those who fight for Allah are like a 'steel wall'. Lt Gen Sharif was recently in the news for more than his professional duty. His jihadi associations were all over social media with his father Mahmood Sultan Bashiruddin, a former scientist with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, linked to extremist organisations and even being associated with . In contrast, at a press briefing in New Delhi, director general of air operations Air Marshal A K Bharti reminded the adversary of a befitting reply for any transgression from the pause in hostilities agreed upon by the two countries.
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pak Terror Bases Were Hit Twice During Operation Sindoor, Say Sources. Here's How
New Delhi: Pakistan's terrorist bases were hit twice during the armed forces' post-midnight "Operation Sindoor" today, sources have said. The 25-minute operation that started at 1.05 am, had involved 25 missiles that targeted terror camps at nine places in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and deep inside Pakistan. India had attacked from many fronts to destroy the hubs of Lashkare-Taiba - whose proxy was involved in the attack on innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam - Jaish-e Mohammad and Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-Ud Dawa, sources said. While the Air Force fired missiles from the sky to the ground, the Army also fired ground-to-ground missiles. The strikes targeted terror camps across Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, Chakwal and as far south as Bahawalpur -- areas that were under the scanner of intelligence agencies for long. The agencies had zeroed in on the location of the terror camps through satellite imagery, human sources, and intercepted communications. The armed forces used precision weapons from deep within Indian territory. The arsenal included air-launched SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER precision-guided bombs and loitering munitions. The SCALP (Storm Shadow) missiles have a range of more than 250 km and were used to strike hardened targets, including reinforced bunkers and command posts. The HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) bombs were used against multi-storied buildings believed to house training modules and operational leadership. Loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones, provided real-time surveillance and struck high-value mobile targets as they emerged. These were fired from Indian Air Force aircraft that could even refuel mid-air. Unlike the earlier strikes - the surgical strikes after the terror attack on Jammu and Kashmir's Uri in 2016 and air strikes after the attack on security forces in Pulwama - the "Operation Sindoor" was the most expansive cross-border strike conducted by India. Sources have indicated that in the coming days, India can take similar action on other terrorist bases in Pakistan. The purpose is to send home the message that Pakistan stop promoting terrorist activities from its soil. If Pakistan retaliates, India will also give a strong response, sources said. India gathered support at the global level before taking this military action. The members of the United Nations Security Council - permanent and others -- were taken into confidence about the operation this evening. For India it was a diplomatic success, with no country apart from Turkey, openly supporting Pakistan. The Gulf countries were seen supporting India. Russia, America, UK and France - the permanent members of the Security Council, have openly supported India while China's response was not seen to be too inclined towards Pakistan, leaving Islamabad isolated.
