New Delhi, May 07: In retaliation for the horrific Pahalgam massacre of 26 people, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Bahawalpur which is a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit, Defence Ministry said.
The military strikes were carried out under ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Ministry said in a statement released at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces have been “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab province as an “act of war” and said his country has every right to give a “befitting reply”
The Indian statement said, “A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.”
“No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution,” the defence ministry said.
Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that missile strikes were carried out by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur in Punjab.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in Bahawalpur’s Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
“All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India’s airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan,” he said.
“Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered,” he added.
India’s actions came two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
“These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered,” the Indian Defence Ministry statement said.
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” it said.
All air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan, people familiar with the matter said.
The top military brass of India was closely monitoring the operation, they said.
Following Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army said on ‘X’: “Justice is Served.”
The operation came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, PM Modi on April 29 gave the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a “crushing blow to terrorism”.
