1:05 AM to 1:30 AM: In just 25 mins, India strikes 9 terror camps in Pak & PoK, kills 70 terrorists
New Delhi, May 7: In a bold and calibrated military move, India has struck at the heart of Pakistan-based terror infrastructure, targeting well-known training camps in Muridke and Bahawalpur in a joint operation conducted by the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The highly coordinated operation—codenamed Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of Wednesday and lasted just 25 minutes. Between 1.05 AM and 1.30 AM, Indian forces unleashed 24 missiles that precisely hit nine terror facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), killing an estimated 70 terrorists.
Government sources said that extreme care was taken to avoid civilian and military installations, underlining the non-escalatory and proportionate nature of the strikes.
Only verified terror camps were targeted, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Muridke and key facilities in Bahawalpur — both long identified as hubs of extremist training and indoctrination.
The operation marks one of India’s most significant cross-border military actions since the Balakot air strikes of 2019, signalling a continued doctrine of pre-emptive defence in response to state-backed terrorism.
It was for the first time since the 1971 Indo-Pak war that India carried out an aerial attack deep inside Punjab province of Pakistan.
Under Operation Sindoor, nine sites—four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoJK)—were targeted following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.
The Indian Air Force selected the targets based on intelligence inputs indicating that terror camps were masquerading as health centres to evade detection, army said.
Among the targets were facilities operated by globally banned groups Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
These targets included Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Muridke HQ – visited by David Headley and Tahawwur Rana, and linked to Kasab’s training. Osama bin Laden had reportedly donated Rs 10 lakh for a guest house on the premises.
Another terror camp, Shawai Nalla camp, Muzaffarabad (PoK) – a key Lashkar-e-Taiba training site where 26/11 attackers were trained and operational since 2000 and capable of housing 200-250 terrorists, was also hit.
Sarjal, Tehra Kalan (Narowal district, Pakistan) – a primary launchpad of Jaish-e-Mohammed operated from a health centre, run by de facto chief Abdul Rauf Asgar. Located just six km from the Samba sector in Jammu, used for cross-border tunnel digging and drone-based arms and narcotics drops, was also destroyed in the air strike.
Other locations struck by the Indian Army included Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur; Markaz Abbas, Kotli; Syedna Bilal camp, Muzaffarabad; Markaz Taiba, Muridke; Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala; Makaz Raheel Shahid, Kotli; and Mehmoona Joya, Sialkot.
Indian officials said the strikes on all nine targets including Bahawalpur and Muridke were successful. It is learnt that an array of weapons including Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles, the Hammer smart weapon system and guided bomb kits were used in striking the terror camps. (Agencies)
Precision, technology & depth: What makes ‘Operation Sindoor’ special
New Delhi, May 7: Operation Sindoor has redefined India’s military posture with a scale, depth, and technological sophistication unseen since the 1971 war. Unlike previous strikes in Uri (2016) and Balakot (2019), which were swift, targeted responses, Sindoor reflects a multi-domain, high-precision offensive spread across Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) — signalling a strategic evolution in India’s approach to cross-border terrorism.
Security experts say that the Uri was a tactical ground-level surgical strike. According to them, Balakot marked the first aerial engagement post-1971. At the same time, ‘Operation Sindoor’ showcased the fusion of airpower, artillery, and unmanned systems in a coordinated, long-duration strike.
The use of loitering munitions (suicide drones) and multiple vector platforms also enabled India to target deep and simultaneously across multiple sectors.
Another key feature of the operation Sindoor was the Indian Air Force’s strike on Bahawalpur, a high-value target that houses Pakistan Army’s 31 Corps Headquarters. So, this was not just symbolic but demonstrated India’s readiness to target dual-use military-terror infrastructure.
The IAF deployed Rafale jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, along with long-range air-to-surface weaponry, extending its strike reach well beyond previous missions.
By choosing to strike Bahawalpur, India sent a clear message about its willingness to hit dual-use infrastructure where terror and military assets overlap, say officials.
The use of multiple aircraft types ensured both deep penetration and precision, underlining the Air Force’s growing operational versatility and long-range strike capability.
The Army’s role was equally advanced. With precision-guided Excalibur 155mm artillery shells, M777 lightweight howitzers, and real-time GPS and drone-based targeting, the strikes were surgical in nature yet powerful in impact. The operation also marked one of the rare instances post-1971 where India officially used missile systems across the border.
Another notable feature was the loiter time and timing. The operation officially spanned from 1.05 AM to 1.30 AM, giving Indian forces time to engage, reassess, and strike again if required. Sources confirmed that Pakistan’s artillery response was delayed by 20–25 minutes, underlining the surprise and precision achieved. (IANS)
PM Modi picked the name ‘Operation Sindoor’: Sources
New Delhi, May 7: It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who picked the evocative term “Operation Sindoor”, official sources said on Wednesday.
With terrorists in Pahalgam gunning down 26 civilians, all men and mostly tourists, and the devastated wives of several of the victims becoming the face of the tragedy, the name “Operation Sindoor” was considered the appropriate moniker for the retaliatory exercise, they noted. Sources said it was the PM’s idea to codename the military exercise aimed at avenging the slaughtering of civilians, a few of them couples celebrating their wedding at Pahalgam.(PTI)
Ten family members of JeM chief Azhar Masood killed
Jammu, May 7: Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit chief, Azhar Masood admitted that ten of his family members were killed in the missile strikes launched by the Indian armed forces during ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the wee hours of Wednesday.
In an Urdu statement released to the media, Masood said, “Ten members of my family, including five children, my elder sister and her husband, my Islamic scholar nephew, his wife and my niece in addition to this, my old friend Hazifa, his mother and two other colleagues were killed.”
He alleged that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had targeted the innocent.
“I am grieved beyond words, but I am neither sorry, nor afraid. I have been praying to Allah that I should have been included in these 14 guests of Allah who become martyrs today.”
“The killings… have not dampened our resolve. They (Indians) should not expect any mercy from us now.
“The fallen minaret of Subhanullah mosque will finally fall on the Indian people in such a manner that their future generations won’t be able to forget,” he threatened. (IANS)
13 killed as Pak pounds villages along LoC in J&K
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, May 7: At least 13 people, including four children and a soldier, were killed and 57 injured as the Pakistan Army carried out one of the most intense artillery and mortar shelling in years targeting forward villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after the Indian missile strikes against terror infrastructure in the neighbouring country and PoK, officials said on Wednesday.
Hundreds of residents were forced to take refuge in underground bunkers or shift to safer places as the indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan destroyed houses, vehicles and various buildings, including a Gurdwara, and created panic among the border residents in the worst-hit Poonch district and Rajouri in Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara in north Kashmir.
This is the first time that such an intense shelling has been witnessed after the ceasefire agreement was renewed between the two countries on February 25, 2021.
Poonch district accounted for all 13 deaths, the officials said, adding 42 people were also injured and the condition of two of them was stated to be serious.
This was the 13th consecutive night of unprovoked firing along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir, amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam attack. (PTI)