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India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Kashmir Terrorism History Part 8: Operation Sindoor, India's Strikes on Pakistan After Pahalgam Terror Attack
In the concluding part of our series, we revisit India's bold strikes on Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack Advertisement April 22, 2025, Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir The Baisaran Valley, a serene meadow nestled in the Pir Panjal range, was alive with the hum of tourists. In the distance, the Lidder River danced its way to the Kashmir Valley. The air was ripe with the smell of pine trees and saffron-laced steaming kahwa. But in the shadows of the dense forest, a sinister plot was brewing. Around 3:15 PM, the peace shattered. As masked terrorists sprayed bullets at tourists, the staccato rhythm of gunfire rose through the woods. It mingled with cries for help and wails of mourners, shrouding the meadow in surreal horror. By the time the dust settled, 26 civilians lay dead, their blood staining the lush green grass. Among the dead were men, shot at point blank range in front of their wives, wiping out the symbol of Hindu women's honour–their sindoor. The attack, claimed by a fringe terror group, was a cowardly strike on innocent tourists, with the goal of destabilising India's fragile northern frontier. The nation mourned its martyrs. In New Delhi, the wheels of retribution were already turning. May 7, 2025, 12:45AM IST In a dimly lit operations room, Air Marshal AK Bharti pointed his baton at satellite imagery of nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In a voice forged in fire, he identified the targets—Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, Markaz Taiba in Muridke, and others—as hubs for Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). The three terror groups, based in and nurtured by Pakistan, had been striking with impunity in India. It was time, a grim-faced Bharti announced, for payback. Pakistan had been given enough opportunities to pull down the jihadist infrastructure. From diplomacy to surgical strikes, India had tried everything. But Islamabad was unwilling to mend its ways. The clock was ticking. Pakistan's inaction against these groups had forced India's hand. 'Operation Sindoor is green,' Bharti announced, his voice steady. The mission was precise: neutralise the terrorist infrastructure without hitting Pakistani military or civilian sites. India's message was clear—retribution for Pahalgam, but no damage to civilians. On cue, pilots of the Indian Air Force strapped into Sukhoi and Rafale jets loaded with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer glide bombs. At 1:05 AM, the jets roared into the night sky, their noses scything through the darkness toward their targets. The wrath of India was about to fall on Pakistan. 1:30 AM IST, Across the Border Chief of the Pakistan Army, General Asim Munir, was woken up by an urgent call. It was raining mayhem, a terrified voice croaked on a secure line. 'Detail?' Munir's voice froze. 'In Bahawalpur, a missile struck Markaz Subhan Allah, reducing JeM's training compound to rubble. Simultaneously, explosions lit up Muridke, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad. The strikes, lasting just 25 minutes, were surgical,' the caller stuttered. His eyes groggy with disbelief, Munir rubbed them till they were red. But the image, he realised, wasn't a nightmare. It was all happening in Pakistan. Within minutes, Islamabad was counting its losses. Over 100 terrorists, including masterminds of the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2019 Pulwama attack, were killed. The jihadi training spots in nine places had been obliterated. 1:30 AM, IST, India Satellite feeds relayed real-time imagery of Op Sindoor: burning structures, collapsed infra, and chaos in terror camps. The Indian Air Force had broken the back of Pakistan's terror modules, setting its jihadi agenda back by many years. At 1:45 AM, the Indian Ministry of Defence announced: 'Operation Sindoor has successfully targeted terrorist infrastructure responsible for the Pahalgam attack. This is a calibrated counter-terror measure.' In New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted on X: 'Bharat Mata ki Jai.' His salutation ignited a wave of national pride. Across the border, Pakistan was seething with the fire of revenge. The subcontinent was perched on a precipice. 3:00 AM IST, Rawalpindi, Pakistan The room buzzed with excitement and a sense of doom as Lieutenant Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, head of Inter-Services Public Relations, faced a barrage of questions, cameras whirring at frenetic pace. His face was grim as he announced India's strikes had killed 31 civilians—and a mosque had been erased. In a statement shortly after the Indian strikes, ISPR said all planes of the Pakistan Air Force were airborne. 'All strikes were made by India from its own airspace. Pakistan will respond to it at a time and place of its own choosing. It will not go unanswered. The temporary pleasure of India will be replaced by enduring grief,' Pakistan stated. Advertisement Indian officials swiftly countered, releasing OSINT evidence showing only terrorist sites were hit. The mosque, they clarified, was a JeM den. By 4:00 AM, Pakistan closed its airspace, grounding commercial flights. India followed, suspending air traffic in northern cities like Srinagar and Amritsar. Along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistani forces opened fire in the Uri sector, killing Indian civilians. The escalation was swift and deliberate. After a hiatus of 26 years post Kargil, the two neighbours were ready for another armed conflict. 10:00 AM IST, New Delhi Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stood at a podium, flanked by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. A map projected behind them smoldering ruins of terror camps. 'Operation Sindoor was a response to Pakistan's failure to act against terrorism,' Misri declared. 'We have no quarrel with Pakistan's people or military. But we will not tolerate terror.' As Misri spoke, Pakistan's disinformation campaign kicked into high gear. ISPR claimed strikes on 15 Indian targets, including Srinagar Airbase. Social media was flooded with grainy videos of explosions, but India's Press Information Bureau debunked them as recycled footage from Pakistan's internal clashes. May 7-10, LoC Pakistan's retaliation intensified. Drone swarms, armed with explosives, crossed into Indian airspace, targeting Indian cities. Indian S-400 systems roared to life, blowing up the drones mid-flight. The debris of shredded drones rained over Punjab and Rajasthan, sparking fires but no fatalities. Pakistan then launched Fatah-series missiles, aiming for Indian military sites. Most were intercepted. In response, Indian jets struck a Pakistani air defense system in Lahore and an aircraft hangar. The strikes, confirmed at 8:00 AM on May 8, were a warning. 'Pakistan's escalatory actions are reckless. We urge restraint but are prepared for any eventuality,' Misri announced. There was panic in Pakistan. On the intervening night of May 9-10, around 2:30 AM, General Munir called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif through a secure phone. 'India has launched its ballistic missiles. One has landed at the Nur Khan airbase and some at other areas,' Prime Minister Sharif was to accept later in a public address. The LoC bore the brunt of violence. Pakistani shelling in Poonch and Kupwara killed 12 Indian civilians and one soldier. Drones—300 to 400 in total—swarmed Indian airspace, targeting military and civilian sites. In Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, lights were put out as sirens blazed through the night. The iconic Golden Temple in Amritsar was dipped in darkness as intelligence inputs warned of a plot to destroy the shrine, blaming it on India. In Ferozpur, a downed drone sparked a fire, injuring three. Indian forces, stretched but resolute, neutralised Pakistani missiles and reportedly shot down an F-16 near Pathankot, though confirmation was pending. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened the Cabinet Committee on Security. 'Operation Sindoor is our new doctrine,' he said. 'Terror will meet swift justice.' The strikes had exposed Pakistan's vulnerabilities—its Chinese air defenses were no match for India's BrahMos missiles and Rafale jets. But the cost was rising. In the early hours of May 10, Pakistan announced its counter-strike: Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos. Missiles launched from Pakistan headed for targets in India, mainly airbases. The damage yet again was limited. But the specter of an all-out war, with nuclear escalation, loomed. May 10, 2025, 5:00 PM IST As the subcontinent braced for another night of horror, blackouts and air strikes, a breakthrough came unexpectedly. US President Donald Trump, via Truth Social, announced a ceasefire. 'India and Pakistan agree to stand down. No more bloodshed!' he posted. In the background, military hotlines buzzed as both sides halted operations. May 11–13, India On May 11, the Indian Army reported a quiet night along the LoC, but tensions simmered. A senior official clarified: 'Sindoor is on pause, not ended.' On May 12, Bharti briefed the media, revealing the Navy's role and the operation's success in avoiding civilian casualties. We hit what we aimed for—'terrorists, not innocents,' he said. On May 13, India released before-and-after satellite imagery, showing obliterated terrorist camps and damaged Pakistani military sites like Noor Khan airbase. With the immediate goal achieved, Modi addressed the nation 'Operation Sindoor is India's policy now. No terrorist will find safe haven. Every terror attack will now be treated as an act of war.' May 14, 2025, New Delhi In a final briefing, Misri detailed how India's indigenous BrahMos missiles and Rafale jets had outmaneuvered Pakistan's defenses. Pakistan's retaliatory PL-15 missiles and Turkish-style drones had been neutralised, a testament to India's air defence systems. The clashes also exposed Pakistan and its allies, both covert and overt. The world took note: India had redefined counter-terrorism, striking hard but avoiding all-out war. The Aftermath: An Uneasy Calm Across the border, Pakistan licked its wounds, its terrorist proxies crippled, military exposed. But its leaders refused to accept the damage—announcing defiance and victory that sounds like a parody. Pahalgam's scars remain. But Operation Sindoor has sent a loud message: India will no longer wait for justice. It will deliver it swiftly, on a war footing. The days of diplomacy on terror are over. Operation Sindoor, named after the vermilion mark married women apply on their forehead, has reshaped India's stance. Terror would no longer go unanswered. But in the shadow of the Himalayas, peace remains a fragile hope. Kashmir continues to be Pakistan's festering dream. Its terror groups continue to treat it as the cause for their existence. The Valley has come a long way from Pakistan's early attempts at infiltration, and jihad through proxies. (See previous parts ). The stakes continue to rise as Pakistan directs its frustration at Kashmir, while India's tolerance for terror keeps coming down. Will the peace hold? Or, will Pakistan test India's resolve again with another sinister plan? After eight decades of violence, terror and wars, the Valley's fate hangs on a slender thread of hope. The tenuous hope that Pakistan will move on from the past, and accept Kashmir as an inseparable part of India. For the next Pakistani misadventure in Kashmir will be an existential threat for Islamabad, and a disaster for the subcontinent. (The series is concluded.)
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Videos Show Massive Damage To Pak Military Bases After Operation Sindoor
New Delhi: India on Monday released videos showing the damage to Pakistani military air bases during Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 to avenge the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month. Addressing a press conference, Air Marshal AK Bharti, the Director General of Air Operations, first showed the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, a key site less than 10 kilometres from Islamabad and adjacent to the country's military headquarters, being on fire following a huge explosion. He then showed a video of extensive damage to the runway of the Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Pakistan's Punjab. #WATCH | Delhi | Air Marshal AK Bharti presents the composite picture of targets engaged by the Indian Air Force during #OperationSindoor — ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2025 He said that the Indian armed forces' fight was against the terrorists, but the Pakistan military "chose to support" the terrorists, and "widened" the conflict. Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces had targeted nine terror sites, including Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur, and Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot. India has said that more than 100 terrorists were killed in the strikes.
Sky News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Terror group supporters posted on TikTok, YouTube and Google from site targeted in Indian airstrikes
Social media accounts expressing support for a Pakistan-based terror group linked to al Qaeda appear to have posted recent videos from a Pakistan mosque targeted by Indian airstrikes. Sky News has found videos posted on TikTok, YouTube and Google that appear to be filmed at the Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke. The captions and usernames contain expressions of support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and a group called '313'. Sky News has found and geolocated multiple videos that appear to be filmed in the area where the captions include either or both '313' and LeT. Some of the videos show men in the streets with guns. Another post captioned a video of children doing martial arts training inside the targeted mosque, "we are little soldiers, and we fight the non-believers". The caption uses the hashtag #جہاد313, which translates to '313' jihad. '313' appears to refer to the 313 Brigade, a proscribed terror organisation in Pakistan. In a TikTok video posted to the Google page for Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke, a man can be seen walking along the street with a gun. The account that posted that video wrote in their description, "Lashkar Taiba, Mujahid Force, '313' and Markaz Taiba Muridke", self-proclaiming their support for the groups. India's retaliatory strikes on Pakistani-adminstered Kashmir and Pakistan on 7 May came after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. Gunmen opened fire on tourists, killing 26 people and injuring dozens in a popular holiday spot near Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April. LeT were accused by India of involvement in the Pahalgam attack through their proxy the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack. LeT, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council and the UK, focuses on fighting Indian control in Kashmir and is based in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Pakistan denies allegations of terror camps operating in the country. This region has been in the control of the Punjabi government since 2010. The Punjab government condemned the Indian strikes, and declared a state of emergency across Punjab. Muskan Sangwan, senior intelligence analyst at TRAC, a terrorism research and analysis consortium, told Sky News: "Brigade 313 is al Qaeda in Pakistan. It's an umbrella organisation for members of several groups like Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Haqqat ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Jaish-e Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jundullah." Ms Sangwan explained that '313' refers to the number of companions said to have fought with the Prophet Mohammed in the Battle of Badr. TRAC have seen a recent uptick in TikTok videos and other social media posts that refer to '313'. Many of the accounts are linked to each other. Ms Sangwan said: "They [the TikTok users] mostly use '313' as a hashtag... trying to push that hashtag to as many people it can reach on social media." Sky News sought to verify the location by comparing before and after videos from the strike location, and using the video released by the Indian army conducting the strike. One video showing damage at the strike location was posted by a user with 313 in their TikTok username. Below is satellite imagery that shows the destruction of the site. In one TikTok, the video is captioned "bring your arms and ammunition and go to war". The text on the screen of the TikTok is '313' and he is carrying a gun. The group are comfortable with having an online presence. On the Google tag for Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke, men pose for a group photo. Almost all the people in the photo have used '313' on TikTok. Ms Sangwan explained: "With these people from Muridke, pushing this propaganda on social media would generate a lot of significance in terms of recruitment and in terms of gaining support from local people and from other people." Sky News' Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch has reported on the ground in Muridke. 3:29 India says it struck Markaz Taiba, a site in Muridke about 15 miles (25km) from the border, which has long been claimed to be a terrorist training site associated with LeT. MEMRI, a US-based research group that monitors terrorist threats, told Sky News: "It has been known for decades that Lashkar-e-Taiba has its headquarters in Muridke." Sky News contacted the Pakistan Ministry of Defence for comment. Khawaja Asif, Pakistan's defence minister, told Sky News: "This appears to be a random video with background music added later - consistent with how TikTok trends often function. If this is to be considered credible evidence, we could produce millions of similar clips ourselves." Mr Asif also said that any suggestion that the mosque was used as a base by terrorists was a "completely false, social media made up hoax". On 7 May, after the strikes in Pakistan, the Indian subcontinent branch of al Qaeda issued a statement condemning India's actions and encouraging its supporters to wage jihad against India. The Data and Forensics
Sky News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Terror group supporters posted on TikTok from site targeted in Indian airstrikes
Social media accounts expressing support for a Pakistan-based terror group linked to al Qaeda appear to have posted recent videos from a Pakistan mosque targeted by Indian airstrikes. Sky News has found videos posted on TikTok, YouTube and Google that appear to be filmed at the Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke. The captions and usernames contain expressions of support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and a group called '313'. Sky News has found and geolocated multiple videos that appear to be filmed in the area where the captions include either or both '313' and LeT. Some of the videos show men in the streets with guns. Another post captioned a video of children doing martial arts training inside the targeted mosque, "we are little soldiers, and we fight the non-believers". The caption uses the hashtag #جہاد313, which translates to '313' jihad. '313' appears to refer to the 313 Brigade, a proscribed terror organisation in Pakistan. In a TikTok video posted to the Google page for Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke, a man can be seen walking along the street with a gun. The account that posted that video wrote in their description, "Lashkar Taiba, Mujahid Force, '313' and Markaz Taiba Muridke", self-proclaiming their support for the groups. India's retaliatory strikes on Pakistani-adminstered Kashmir and Pakistan on 7 May came after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. Gunmen opened fire on tourists, killing 26 people and injuring dozens in a popular holiday spot near Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April. LeT were accused by India of involvement in the Pahalgam attack through their proxy the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack. LeT, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council and the UK, focuses on fighting Indian control in Kashmir and is based in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Pakistan denies allegations of terror camps operating in the country. This region has been in the control of the Punjabi government since 2010. The Punjab government condemned the Indian strikes, and declared a state of emergency across Punjab. Muskan Sangwan, senior intelligence analyst at TRAC, a terrorism research and analysis consortium, told Sky News: "Brigade 313 is al Qaeda in Pakistan. It's an umbrella organisation for members of several groups like Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Haqqat ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Jaish-e Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jundullah." Ms Sangwan explained that '313' refers to the number of companions said to have fought with the Prophet Mohammed in the Battle of Badr. TRAC have seen a recent uptick in TikTok videos and other social media posts that refer to '313'. Many of the accounts are linked to each other. Ms Sangwan said: "They [the TikTok users] mostly use '313' as a hashtag... trying to push that hashtag to as many people it can reach on social media." Sky News sought to verify the location by comparing before and after videos from the strike location, and using the video released by the Indian army conducting the strike. One video showing damage at the strike location was posted by a user with 313 in their TikTok username. Below is satellite imagery that shows the destruction of the site. In one TikTok, the video is captioned "bring your arms and ammunition and go to war". The text on the screen of the TikTok is '313' and he is carrying a gun. The group are comfortable with having an online presence. On the Google tag for Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke, men pose for a group photo. Almost all the people in the photo have used '313' on TikTok. Ms Sangwan explained: "With these people from Muridke, pushing this propaganda on social media would generate a lot of significance in terms of recruitment and in terms of gaining support from local people and from other people." Sky News' Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch has reported on the ground in Muridke. 3:29 India says it struck Markaz Taiba, a site in Muridke about 15 miles (25km) from the border, which has long been claimed to be a terrorist training site associated with LeT. MEMRI, a US-based research group that monitors terrorist threats, told Sky News: "It has been known for decades that Lashkar-e-Taiba has its headquarters in Muridke." Sky News contacted the Pakistan Ministry of Defence for comment. Khawaja Asif, Pakistan's defence minister, told Sky News: "This appears to be a random video with background music added later - consistent with how TikTok trends often function. If this is to be considered credible evidence, we could produce millions of similar clips ourselves." Mr Asif also said that any suggestion that the mosque was used as a base by terrorists was a "completely false, social media made up hoax". On 7 May, after the strikes in Pakistan, the Indian subcontinent branch of al Qaeda issued a statement condemning India's actions and encouraging its supporters to wage jihad against India. The Data and Forensics
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Provoking Communal Discord": Centre Lists Aims Of Pahalgam Attack
New Delhi: The heinous terror attack in Pahalgam on innocent tourists was conducted not only to shred the peace in Jammu and Kashmir and destroy its tourism-based economy but also with the bigger motive of unleashing communal riots in the country. The foreign ministry said this today, noting that the terrorists' plans were foiled because of the government and the people of India. "The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining the normalcy returning to Jammu & Kashmir. In particular, it was designed to impact the mainstay of the economy, tourism, with a record 23 million tourists visiting the valley last year,' the foreign ministry said today. "The calculation, presumably, was that harming growth and development in the Union Territory would help keep it backward and create fertile ground for continued cross-border terrorism from Pakistan,' the ministry said. "The manner of the attack was also driven by an objective of provoking communal discord, both in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the nation. It is to the credit of the government and the people of India that these designs were foiled," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said today. Some eye-witnesses had said the terrorists has shot down men in cold blood in front of their families after confirming their religion. Following the attack, outrage had spread across the country. Kashmir, where a ponywalla died protecting the tourists, people condemned the attack. "Not in my name," almost became a slogan in the protests held across the Kashmir Valley. The ministry's comment came hours after the armed forces conducted the "Operation Sindoor" with missile strikes at terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Under 'Operation Sindoor', the army and the Air Force targeted Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad or JeM in Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot and Lashkar's base in Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and its camp in Muzaffarabad's Shawai Nalla. Muridke, located a short distance from Lahore, is home to a sprawling "markaz" or base of the Lashkar.
