In the early hours of May 7, 2025, the Indian military launched "Operation Sindoor," a series of coordinated strikes targeting what it declared were terrorist infrastructures within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This operation, executed in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, has ignited a fresh wave of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
India has asserted that the strikes were aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure belonging to organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen. These groups, according to Indian authorities, have been responsible for planning and executing attacks against India. The targeted locations included Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur and Syedna Bilal Camp in Muzaffarabad.
Pakistan swiftly condemned the strikes, branding them as an "unprovoked attack, targeting innocent people". According to Pakistani military sources, the Indian strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 31 civilians, including women and children, with dozens more injured. Pakistan also claimed that mosques and residential areas were among the targets. In retaliation, the Pakistani military claimed to have shot down multiple Indian military planes.
The operation has triggered a flurry of diplomatic activity, with nations around the world calling for restraint and de-escalation. The United Kingdom debated the rising tensions in its Parliament, emphasizing the need for efforts to de-escalate the situation.
India has defended its actions as "focused, measured, and non-escalatory," asserting that the strikes deliberately avoided Pakistani military installations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that the operation was a "necessary response to the clear and present danger of terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil". Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant echoed this sentiment, stating that "Operation Sindoor was not against any country or religion but its target was terrorism".
However, Pakistan's perspective is starkly different. Pakistani officials deny any involvement in the Pahalgam attack and accuse India of using it as a pretext for military action. They maintain that the strikes were a blatant act of aggression against their sovereignty, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides accusing the other of escalating tensions. Heavy shelling has reportedly resumed along the Line of Control (LoC) that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir. The Border Security Force in India has suspended the daily evening ceremonial retreat ceremonies held at border check posts along the Punjab border.
Amid the escalating tensions, there have been reports of misinformation and conflicting narratives. India has dismissed Pakistan's claims of targeting the Neelum Jhelum project, asserting that it only targeted terror infrastructure.
"Operation Sindoor" has undoubtedly plunged India-Pakistan relations into a new crisis. The long-term consequences of this operation remain uncertain, but it has underscored the fragility of peace in the region and the urgent need for dialogue and de-escalation.
