It is easy to get carried away by the propaganda and the mass psychology of revenge it accelerates.

Avijit Pathak

It is not easy to come out of the shock, pain and anger that the recent terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir has caused to our collective consciousness. And, as many suspect the involvement of Pakistan in this brute act, the mass psychology of revenge seems to have affected the public sentiment. Yes, it is for the Indian state, and associated officials, foreign policy strategists and army personnel to decide the way the entire gang of terrorists and their sponsors are punished and eliminated.

Yet, as a teacher/educator, I dare to be contemplative, and ask myself a difficult question: Can our ‘legitimate’ violence be necessarily appreciated as the most appropriate response to their illegitimate violence? Or, is there any other way to acknowledge the roots of this violence, and move towards a state of collective sanity through self-reflexive education and mass awakening?

As teachers, we have some responsibility to communicate with the young generation, urge them not to get carried away by the instinctive urge for revenge and problematise what these days we have almost normalised. In this context, let me make three observations.

First, whenever a crisis of this kind erupts, the proponents of hyper-nationalism become super active. And as an emotion, hyper-nationalism is immensely addictive because it simplifies a complex phenomenon, creates binaries, popularises conspiracy theories, negates the possibility of authentic self-critique and demonises the ‘enemies’ of the nation for every problem it confronts. While the ruling regime loves the gospel of this ideology of binaries to hide its own failures, we, as ordinary citizens, are almost hypnotised to think that our ‘enemies’ — say, Pakistan, or ‘separatists’ in Kashmir, or the Muslim population in general — cause all sorts of problems; and if we succeed in eliminating these enemies, we would live in peace forever! No wonder, the stimulation of hyper-nationalism, far from restoring sanity and the spirit of dialogue, takes us to a never-ending chain of violence vs counter-violence.

Second, the discourse of hyper-nationalism, as we are witnessing, is sustained by yet another dangerous practice of religious fundamentalism. In fact, the practice of religious fundamentalism robs religion of the religiosity of love and compassion, or the spiritual quest for the oceanic merger of the temporal and the eternal, form and formlessness, or the finite and the infinite. Instead, it blinds our visions, and makes us think that it is only our religion that is supreme, and all those who adhere to different faiths are necessarily our enemies and potential sources of cultural contamination. When the terrorists killed innocent people on the basis of their religious identities at Pahalgam, we could see a close link between terrorism and religious fundamentalism. But then, there is a great danger, if in order to cope with this sort of Islamic fundamentalism, we too are tempted to fall into the same trap. Is it, therefore, surprising that at this crucial moment, a group of militant Hindu nationalists are provoking us so that we begin to see every Muslim as a potential enemy of the nation? Likewise, when every Kashmiri Muslim is reduced to an object of perpetual surveillance or military gaze, we reproduce the same ideology of violence.

Third, it is high time we began to interrogate militarism as an answer to terrorist violence. War is not fun; war is not a television spectacle; and war, far from solving a problem, intensifies it further. Yes, the wound it causes does not heal easily. Even if the narcissistic ego of a nation seeks to manifest itself through its military power, missiles, bombs and nuclear weapons, the celebration of militarism brutalises our consciousness and negates the possibility of dialogue, reconciliation and peace.

In recent times, we have witnessed the devastating effect of the Russia-Ukraine war, or, for that matter, the Israel-Palestine war. And despite a series of wars with Pakistan, Indo-Pak relationship remains tension-ridden. The ‘victory’ in a bloody war might help the power-hungry politicians to win another election. However, it does by no means assure peace and cross-cultural understanding.

These are difficult times. It is easy to get carried away by the propaganda machinery, and the mass psychology of revenge it accelerates. In fact, if you speak a different language you are suspected, or ridiculed as a foolish ‘idealist’. Yet, as teachers, we have a role to play at this moment of collective insanity. Hence, I invoke three great teachers — Rabindranath Tagore, Jiddu Krishnamurti and Thich Nhat Hanh — and seek to learn from their wisdom, and try to communicate with the young generation.

With his poetic wonder and universalism, Tagore could see the discontents of hyper-nationalism, war, militarism and the psychology of violence.

Likewise, Jiddu Krishnamurti repeatedly warned us of the negative consequences of our ‘conditioning’. This conditioning erects walls of separation and causes all sorts of division: I am a Hindu, you are a Muslim; I am a Jew, you are a Christian; or I am an Indian, you are a Pakistani! The result is that we begin to see one another through the prism of this conditioning with all sorts of stereotypes; never do we realise our shared humanity. For Krishnamurti, it is important to decondition our minds so that we can look at the world with absolute freshness and innocence.

And, Thich Nhat Hanh —the Buddhist monk who saw the Vietnam war — came forward with his engaged religiosity and put great emphasis on dialogue, compassionate listening and kindness. Even Osama bin Laden, he said with his characteristic wisdom, needs to be listened to and understood.

Is it possible for well-meaning educators, social activists and public intellectuals across the borders to come together and initiate a movement for collective sanity?

Avijit Pathak is a sociologist.

Operation Sindoor symbolises India’s strategic evolution. The challenge is to sustain the momentum of this transformation.

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh retd

INDIA’S strategic calculus fundamentally shifted on the intervening night of May 6-7, when the Indian Army and Air Force jointly executed Operation Sindoor. Conducted in response to the barbaric terror attack at Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, the operation reflected not merely India’s intent to seek retribution, but a clear demonstration of the evolving sophistication and precision of its military capability.

Operation Sindoor was meticulously planned and brilliantly executed, with surgical precision that minimised collateral damage. Nine strategically crucial terrorist infrastructures — five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimber) and four deep within Pakistani territory (Sialkot, Muridke, Bahawalpur) — were targeted with precision never seen before in the region.

These locations hosted prominent Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camps and command centres, the centres for terrorism orchestrated against India.

The joint operation exemplified superior inter-service coordination — an operational hallmark vital for modern military successes.

Around 70 per cent of the targets were precisely neutralised by the Indian Army employing drones and advanced precision-guided munitions, highlighting the increasingly crucial role of unmanned systems in contemporary conflicts. Seven targets were destroyed by the army, while the air force complemented this action by using standoff precision weapons against approximately 30 per cent of the designated targets.

Importantly, this joint effort deliberately avoided Pakistani military installations, signifying restraint and measured intent. The international community promptly recognised this nuanced approach — Israel supported India’s right to self-defence, the UAE urged restraint and dialogue, while the US called for a swift resolution to prevent further escalation. Such support shows the legitimacy India enjoys when responding decisively, yet responsibly, to provocations.

However, a word of caution for Pakistan: this restraint should not be mistaken as our weakness. Any further adventure will be responded with far greater intensity and ferocity.

In contrast, Pakistan resorted to false propaganda and disinformation to mask the extent of its operational losses. Within hours, Pakistani military spokespersons and media outlets claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets and falsely asserted the capture of soldiers as prisoners of war. These fabricated narratives were debunked by independent analysts and fact-checkers.

For instance, purported images circulated by Pakistan were traced back to an unrelated MiG-29 crash in Rajasthan in 2024; Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif retracted initial claims of captured Indian personnel. Such misinformation reflects Pakistan’s strategic pattern — attempting to deflect from its own tactical and operational failures by misleading its domestic populace and international community.

Operationally, Sindoor achieved several objectives. The foremost was dismantling major nodes of Pakistan’s cross-border terror apparatus, significantly degrading their operational capabilities and disrupting potential terrorist plans.

Secondly, the seamless coordination between the army and the air force displayed India’s progress towards true jointness, essential for future engagements. Thirdly, it sent a robust message of deterrence to Pakistan’s deep state: terror sanctuaries, no matter how deep inside Pakistani territory, are no longer safe. Lastly, the strategic messaging to Pakistan to mend its ways or face greater consequences. The N-card will not work anymore.

Yet, the end of one operation is merely the beginning of strategic vigilance and preparedness for suitable response to any pushback. Pakistan’s historical responses to India’s retaliatory military actions exhibit a pattern of irrational escalation and reckless provocation. After India’s 2016 surgical strikes, Pakistan denied that any strikes took place, while simultaneously increasing ceasefire violations by 200 per cent and intensifying terrorist infiltration.

Following the 2019 Balakot strikes, Pakistan’s air force retaliated, causing escalation risks, and proxy infiltrations intensified dramatically. Such behaviours clearly illustrate Pakistan’s strategic irrationality, driven less by coherent statecraft than by domestic political compulsions and ideological compulsions embedded deeply within its military-intelligence establishment.

Thus, India must brace for potential escalation from Pakistan in two domains: direct military confrontation and intensified proxy terror strikes. Pakistan may escalate artillery or rocket fire along the LoC, attempt airspace incursions or resort to sensationalised media theatrics to provoke India.

More dangerously, and far likelier, will be asymmetric strikes by proxies against India’s dual-use infrastructure — communication centres, energy installations and transportation hubs — using low-cost, high-impact drone technologies or other asymmetric tactics, as evidenced by recent global conflicts, notably in Ukraine.

Indeed, the conflict in Ukraine demonstrates the effectiveness of drone warfare — drones accounting for over 70 per cent of battlefield casualties and effectively neutralising expensive, conventional platforms. This drone-driven asymmetry, reshaping global conflicts, must inform India’s immediate threat assessments and strategic posturing.

Moreover, China’s naval drone developments, exemplified by its new Type 076 drone carrier, indirectly compound regional threats through potential technology transfers to Pakistan.

India, therefore, needs decisive strategic recalibration. Immediate operational preparedness must focus on drone and counter-drone technologies, precision strike capabilities and sophisticated AI-enabled command and control structures.

The defence reform agenda must gain urgency. Given Pakistan’s propensity for irrational escalation, reforms and robust deterrence capabilities are strategic imperatives, not optional policies.

Operation Sindoor symbolises India’s strategic evolution. The challenge is to sustain the momentum of this transformation and pre-emptively prepare for potential escalations by an adversary known for irrationality.

As recent events underline, India’s security and standing hinge upon decisive military modernisation and strategic preparedness. The time for incrementalism is past; India must adapt swiftly and strategically to secure a peaceful yet robustly defended future. Because in geopolitics, countries only respect brute power.

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh (Retd) is Director General, Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

India must impose more severe costs on the neighbour for indulging in cross-border terrorism

Tilak Devasher

INDIA is angry. The cold-blooded and communal killing of 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam on April 22 led to the demand and expectation of retribution. Pakistan did not have to wait long for the kinetic action that it was sure would come. And it came in the wee hours of May 7 when nine terror facilities were targeted in precision attacks. These included the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) at Bahawalpur and of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) at Muridke.

For India, the road ahead was clear. It had served notice on Pakistan after Uri in 2016 and Pulwama in 2019 that it would not accept terror in inter-state relations and there would be costs to pay. Pakistan seemed to have forgotten those lessons and resorted to a terror strike in Pahalgam. Hence, India now has to impose more severe costs on Pakistan for indulging in cross-border terrorism. The pain would have to be long-term and decisive. PM Narendra Modi has articulated this when he stated that the consequences would be unimaginable.

Earlier, India’s non-kinetic retribution was swift, changing the rules of engagement. Within a day, several measures were taken, of which the key one was holding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. Since Pakistan is totally dependent on the Indus and its tributaries for its irrigation needs, this measure sent severe shockwaves in that country. Simply put, Pakistan’s water system is already on the verge of collapse and the country is staring at water scarcity. Further disruption of water supply would not only exacerbate the existing scarcity but have a cascading effect on crop yields and food security. There would thus be long-term consequences for Pakistan’s agriculture.

Trying to keep pace with India, Pakistan announced the suspension of bilateral accords, including the Simla Agreement, and also banned trade and use of its airspace with India, apart from reciprocating diplomatic measures announced by India. It also threatened that disruption of the IWT would be considered as an “act of war” and “responded with full force across the complete spectrum of national power.”

The Pakistan narrative, as developed since April 22, has the following elements:

(i) Pakistan has nothing to do with the Pahalgam incident.

(ii) Indian allegations against Pakistan are without an iota of evidence.

(iii) Pakistan demands an independent and transparent probe by neutral investigators.

(iv) India is diverting attention from its inability to suppress the inalienable right of Kashmiris to self-determination, its security failures as well as its decades-long state terrorism and oppression.

(v) India is seeking to suppress Kashmiris and defy UNSC resolutions on the issue.

(vi) India needs to explain why such incidents usually coincide with high-profile visits.

(vii) Holding the IWT in abeyance is unilateral and illegal.

(viii) There are strong indications that India plans to launch military strikes on multiple targets despite the absence of any evidence of Pakistan being linked to the latest terrorist attack.

(ix) After the attacks, Pakistan has claimed that all the targets were mosques, trying to give a communal colour to the strikes against terror facilities.

The above narrative has been peppered with the threat of the use of nuclear weapons by political leaders and officials.

The most interesting part of Pakistan’s narrative was the assertion of Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar that as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Islamabad pushed to water down the language in the US-proposed statement, which originally named and shamed The Resistance Front, a proxy of proscribed terror group LeT. Deliberately calling it a ‘Forum’ formed by the local population, Pakistan rejected its classification as a terror group. If the ‘Forum’ (actually Front) was merely an Indian outfit, having no connection with the Pak-based LeT, why would Pakistan go out of the way to have the reference blocked?

Meanwhile, Pakistan is preparing international legal action over India holding the IWT in abeyance. It is working on at least three legal options that include raising the issue at the World Bank; taking action at the Permanent Court of Arbitration; or at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. A fourth diplomatic option is to raise the issue at the UNSC.

Though Pakistan sought to create the impression that the attack was due to an indigenous uprising, the targeting of Hindu tourists showed that it was a religiously motivated act of terror. The attack showed Pakistan’s frustration since it sought to degrade the growing tourism sector that directly impacted the livelihoods of Kashmiris. It also sought to dent the Indian narrative of normalcy since the abrogation of Article 370. Finally, the timing of the attack was significant since it coincided with the high-profile visit of US Vice-President JD Vance to India and PM Modi’s trip to Saudi Arabia.

After the Pahalgam attack, there have been confessions from Pak ministers that clearly implicate Pakistan in the terror architecture it has created over the past few decades. Thus, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, replying to a question during an interview with Sky News on April 25, said, “We have been doing this dirty work [backing and funding terror groups] for the United States for about three decades… and the West, including Britain….” Then, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, in a conversation with Sky News on May 1, acknowledged the country’s link with terror operatives, saying that Pakistan has a past.

A related development has been the sudden appointment of Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA), marking the first time a serving ISI chief holds both posts simultaneously. The post of NSA in Pakistan had been vacant since April 2022 when the civilian incumbent, Moeed Yusuf, vacated it following the ouster of Imran Khan as PM in a no-confidence motion. The dual appointment does signal a strengthening of power of the Pakistan Army, relegating civilians to the sidelines when there are heightened India-Pakistan tensions. The NSA, who holds the status of a federal minister, also heads the National Security Division, based in the Pak PMO.

This move is clearly an attempt by Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir to take charge of backchannel talks with India. It should suit India since the interlocutor on the Pak side would represent the real power-brokers, something that would be critical in times of crisis.

With India having taken out terror camps, it remains to be seen how Pakistan will react. Its options are limited since there are no terror camps in India. So what would Pakistan target?

Views are personal

Tilak Devasher is former Member, National Security Advisory Board.

No order by authorities on evacuation; officials counsel villagers in Ferozepur

Anirudh Gupta Our Correspondent

Several residents of villages located along the International Border with Pakistan here started moving to safer places after India struck the terror infrastructure in the neighbouring country in early hours on Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma urged villagers not to panic, saying “no order had been issued to evacuate villages”.

She said the administration was fully alert and prepared to deal with all contingencies. Sharma said senior officials were also sent to counsel villagers.

Meanwhile, several residents were seen shifting to safer places at villages, including Tendi Wala, Kalu Wala, Gatti Rajo Ke, Jhugge Hazara, Navi Gatti Rajo Ke, Gatti Rahime Ke, Chandiwala, Basti Bhanewali and Jallo Ke.

They were seen packing valuables besides food and clothes. Some of the villagers were spotted loading essential items on to tractor-trailers, bullock carts and even motorcycles.

A villager said he was persuaded by his relatives to shift to a “safer place”, apprehending a “war-like situation” between the two countries in upcoming days.

Kakku Singh (63), a resident of Bhambha Haji village in Mamdot, said he had come to meet her two married daughters at Kaluwala village. Kaluwala village is surrounded by the Sutlej on three sides and Pakistan on the fourth.“When I heard the news about the India’s attack (on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan), I got worried about my daughters and their families. I am taking them to my home till the situation normalises,” he said.

Pachho Bai (58) of Tendi Wala village and her daughter-in-law were seen packing clothes.

Pachho Bai said she was worried as her house was situated just 2 km away from the border. “There are six members in our family. My husband and son have gone to work but we are planning to move to a relative’s place,” she said.

Ranjit Singh, a resident of Gatti Rajo Ke village, said he would drop his three children at a relative’s house at Ali Ke village.

“My wife told me to shift them to a safer place. Though there is no official order asking for evacuation, most villagers are either leaving their homes or sending their loved ones to safer places,” he said.

However, many still have decided to stay back, confident of the armed forces’ capability to defend the country in case of a war. Surjeet Singh of Tendi Wala village said, “We are ready to support our soldiers as the first line of defence.”

Residents recall past wars

Fazilka: A similar situation was witnessed at some of the Fazilka villages. At Pakka Chisti village, situated just 1 km from the International Border, octogenarian Ojha Singh recalled the 1965 and 1971 Wars. He said in 1971, they had to rush for life, leaving behind their livestock and belongings.

He claimed that about 20 persons were made captive by Pakistan in the 1965 War.

At Mohar Jamsher village, former Sarpanch Hansa Singh said several residents had shifted their valuables to their relatives while deciding to stay back until the authorities advised them to leave.

Gunfight breaks out in the morning in the Karregutta hills forest along the interstate border

Twenty-two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday in the forests of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district bordering Telangana during ‘Operation Sankalp’, a massive counter-insurgency initiative, a senior police official said.

The gunfight broke out in the morning in the Karregutta hills forest along the interstate border, he said.

“So far, bodies of 22 Naxalites have been recovered and a search operation was underway in the area”, he said, adding that the identity of the slain cadres was yet to be established.

With the latest encounter, the toll of Naxalites gunned down under Operation Sankalp since April 21 has climbed to 26.

Operation Sankalp, one of the biggest counter-insurgency actions launched in the Bastar region, involves around 24,000 security personnel from different units including District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), all units of state police, Central reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit CoBRA.

The operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of senior cadres of battalion no. 1, the strongest military formation of Maoists, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and Telangana state committee of Maoists.

On April 24, three Naxalite women, belonging to the PLGA battalion no.1 of Maoists carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, were gunned down on the Karregutta hills, leading to the recovery of a huge cache of weapons, explosives, and other material.

On May 5, a woman Naxalite was killed in a gunfight with security forces in the area.

The area surrounded by dense forests and lined by hills is believed to be the base of the Maoist battalion no. 1, the police official said.

“The inputs suggest several senior-level Maoist cadres have either been killed or seriously injured during this operation, but their colleagues managed to drag them inside the forest,” he said.

The official said hundreds of Naxal hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed so far during the operation, and a huge cache of explosive material, detonators, medicines, and other items was seized.

At least six security personnel, including an official of CoBRA unit, were injured in different incidents of pressure IED blasts. All the injured jawans are out of danger and are being treated in various hospitals.

With the latest action, 168 Naxalites have been gunned down in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year. Of them, 151 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

PM chose the name of the Operation to express national solidarity with the women who lost their husbands to the Pahalgam massacre

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Updated At : 05:52 AM May 08, 2025 IST

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri with Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during a press conference in New Delhi. PTIIndia’s choice of codename “Operation Sindoor” for May 7 strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK was meant to deliver a strong, symbolic message to the neighbour and the world of national solidarity with the widows of April 22 Pahalgam attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally gave the name to the military strike meant to “teach Pakistan trained terrorists a lesson”, as he had promised in Bihar on April 24.

Sindoor, the red vermillion powder is a symbol of matrimonial longevity and health in the Hindu faith.

“On April 22, Pakistan trained terrorists singled out and murdered Hindu men in front of their wives, mothers and children. Those who were spared in the attack were told to give PM Narendra Modi the message. Operation Sindoor is PM’s answer to the perpetrators of Pahalgam attack. It is a revenge India has taken on the behalf of its mothers and sisters who were wronged in Pahalgam,” said a top government source.

Even Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in his remarks on the Indian response today made a mention of the “savagery and barbarism” of the Pahalgam attack that overwhelmed every Indian.

Operation Sindoor evokes that emotional response.

This is in fact the first time Indian Armed Forces have framed a military operation against Pakistan as a tribute to terror attack victims. In the past, phrases and metaphors representing valour and warfare have been deployed in operations against Pakistan. These include Operation Riddle, military’s response to Pakistan’s 1965 offensive; Operation Trident, Indian Navy’s successful offensive during the 1971 Indo-Pak War targeting Karachi port; Operation Vijay to reclaim the Kargil heights in 1999; Operation Parakram after the 2001 Parliament attack and most recently Operation Bandar post the Pulwama terror attack.

Operation Sindoor lends voice to the collective national anguish over the Pahalgam attack. As Ashanya Dwivedi, the widow of Kanpur’s Shubham Dwivedi, the first among 26 to be hit in Pahalgam, said today, “This codename is a real tribute to the victims. Only PM Modi could have given this name. He identified with our pain and sentiments. I thank him for avenging the killing of my husband and 25 others.”

Besides the choice of codename Operation Sindoor, India, by fielding two women officers to lead the national briefing after the military strikes today, delivered a sharp retort to Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s recent “Hindu-Muslim binary” rant.Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wg Cdr Vyomika Singh both cautioned Pakistan against escalation.

Their presence at the briefing today alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri mirrored Indian unity days after Munir backed the “two-nation theory” and said Hindus and Muslims were different in every aspect of their lives. Munir’s statements have widely been linked to the Pahalgam attack where Hindus were targetted.

Of war symbolisms & codenames

The US operation to kill Osama bin Laden, launched on May 2, 2011, was called Operation Neptune Spear because Neptune’s spear, the trident, is a symbol of the US navy’s special warfare insignia, specifically the SEALs. The operation was conducted by SEAL Team Six.

Operation Overlord during World War II

On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France via the beaches of Normandy marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.

Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War

Used to describe the January 1991 US-led coalition’s air and ground assault to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation under Saddam Hussein.

A Muktsar resident says that blackout drills had already begun in the area, further increasing the unease

Archit Watts Tribune News Service

As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, anxiety is growing among civilians—particularly those with weddings planned in the coming days.

Gurinder Singh, a resident of Muktsar town, voiced his concern over his nephew’s wedding, scheduled for May 12 in Punjab’s Fazilka district.

“We are all perplexed. Everything is ready, and the functions are scheduled to begin on May 10, but the current situation is making us nervous,” he said.

He added that blackout drills had already begun in the area, further increasing the unease. “The situation escalated further on Wednesday with the execution of Operation Sindoor. Adding to our worries, schools in the border districts have been ordered shut as a precautionary measure,” Gurinder said.

The owner of a popular wedding hall in the region echoed similar sentiments. “Just a few weddings are usually held in May. However, those who have planned them are definitely anxious,” he noted.

Despite the rising concern, officials have urged the public to remain calm, assuring that there is no need to panic.

Cabinet salutes forces | PM briefs Murmu | All-party meet today

Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service

Hours after the Indian military struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sent out a firm message to the world that the country exercised its right to respond in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent citizens on its soil.

Singh, the first minister to speak publicly after Operation Sindoor in the early hours on Wednesday, said the Indian armed forces had scripted history by acting with precision, precaution and compassion to destroy camps used to train terrorists in Pakistan and PoK.

Earlier in the day, Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the operation and the PM later lauded the armed forces in a Cabinet meeting he chaired at his residence. The PM is learnt to have told the Cabinet that the national response to the Pahalgam attack was “necessary and had to be undertaken”. He saluted the forces for a precision strike the nation had been waiting for.

The entire Cabinet hailed the “non-escalatory, pre-emptive, and responsive” nature of the strikes by the Indian military and congratulated PM Modi for his leadership.

Before the Cabinet meeting today, the Cabinet Committee on Security also met, its third since the Pahalgam attack. The PM later met and briefed President Droupadi Murmu, the supreme commander of the armed forces, on the operation, even as the government scheduled an all-party meeting to discuss the situation on Thursday. The meeting is expected to pass a resolution backing Operation Sindoor.

Though the PM did not make a public comment on Operation Sindoor, Rajnath Singh spoke on the government’s behalf, stating that India used its right to respond after the attack that was perpetrated on its soil.

“We have undertaken this operation extremely consciously and wisely. This operation was launched with the sole target of destroying the morale of terrorists by targeting their camps and infrastructure. I salute the valour of our armed forces,” said Singh, addressing the 66th Raising Day event of the Border Roads Organisation at Manekshaw Centre here today.

“During Operation Sindoor, we followed the path shown by Lord Hanuman, who, while destroying the Ashok Vatika in Lanka, only targeted those who had targeted innocent people. We also targeted those who targeted us,” said Singh, even as the world urged de-escalation.

The minister reiterated India’s position that no civilians were hit. “The armed forces acted with precision, precaution and compassion to destroy camps used to train terrorists in Pakistan and PoK. As per plan, the targets were destroyed and no civilian population was harmed,” Singh said, rejecting Pakistan’s claims about civilian casualties.

The Defence Minister said the forces displayed sensitivity to ensure civilian populations were not affected. “I congratulate the soldiers and officers. I also congratulate PM Modi for boosting the morale of the forces,” said Rajnath Singh.

Jaish’s Bahawalpur & LeT’s Muridke headquarters targeted in 25-minute ‘measured’ missile attack

ndia on Wednesday carried out precision attacks on the core of Pakistan’s terror infrastructure, targeting nine sites, including terrorist training camps, launch pads and headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba, in a 25-minute strike codenamed Operation Sindoor.

The armed forces used a mix of air-launched missiles, self-destructing Kamikaze drones and artillery fire from the ground. The retaliatory action follows the “savage killing” of 25 male tourists, gunned down in front of their wives and families, and one local guide in the higher reaches of Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22.

Sources said at least 70 terrorists were killed at the sites — four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied J&K. India chose the targets based on “credible intelligence” about terror camps operating at these sites, camouflaged as health centres to evade detection and circumvent sanctions from international organisations, including the Financial Action Task Force, officials said.

India said it was ready to respond to any escalation initiated by its nuclear-armed neighbour. “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,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement released at 1.44 am.

The airspace over north-western India—Punjab, J&K, Rajasthan and Haryana—continues to be restricted for civilian flights as fighter jets of both countries are engaged in combat patrolling and air defence mechanisms to protect vital installations.

The Indian Air Force jets carried out strikes at Muridke and Bahawalpur terror hubs while the Army hit camps at Shawai Nalla and Syedna Belal in Muzaffarabad. Gulpur and Abbas terror camps in Kotli, Barnala camp in Bhimber, Sarjal and Mehmoona Joya camps in Sialkot were also targeted.

At a briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India exercised its right to respond to and pre-empt cross-border threats. “The actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. They focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists likely to be sent across to India,” said Misri.

Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who accompanied Misri, said no civilian targets or military installations were hit. “The operation was carried out between 1.05 am and 1.30 am on Wednesday,” said Colonel Qureshi, showing videos of the strikes recorded by Indian surveillance systems.

Wing Commander Singh said the Indian armed forces were “fully prepared to respond to Pakistani misadventures, which could escalate the situation”.

“It was deemed essential that the perpetrators and planners of the Pahalgam attack be brought to justice. Despite a fortnight having passed since the massacre, there was no demonstrable step from Pakistan to act against the terror infrastructure on its territory or on the territory under its control. Instead, all it has indulged in are denials and allegations,” said Misri.

The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan-trained terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba carried out the Pahalgam attack. “The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining normalcy returning to J&K. In particular, it was designed to impact the mainstay of the economy (tourism), with a record 23 million tourists visiting the Valley last year,” he said.

Lashkar offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) had claimed responsibility for the attack. Misri said India had given inputs about the TRF in its half-yearly report to the monitoring team of the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee in May and November 2024, bringing out its role as a cover for Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

The LeT’s nerve centre in Muridke, about 30 km from Lahore, was hit four times in quick succession during the operation, said the officials. Muridke, the base of the terror group since 1990, is where Ajmal Kasab and nine other terrorists were trained ahead of the 26/11 terror siege of Mumbai. Besides, 26/11 accused David Headley and Tahawwur Rana also visited the LeT hub.

The Markaz (centre) Taiba at Muridke, dubbed a “terror factory”, is the most important training centre for the LeT. Recruits, officials said, are brainwashed, given physical training and a two-week-long indoctrination course. Around 1,000 students in different courses get enrolled in this camp, they said. The other big ticket target was Bahawalpur, which became the hub of the JeM after the release of Masood Azhar in exchange for the hijacked passengers of IC-814 in 1999.

The group has since been involved in a series of terror attacks in India, including the Parliament attack in 2001, the strike on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 2000, the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot in 2016 and the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019.

On Wednesday, the Poonch sector in Jammu was the worst-hit, recording 13 deaths during intense shelling by Pakistani troops

People gather near a damaged property after alleged heavy firing and shelling by Pakistan military overnight across the Line of Control and International Border, at Irwan Khanetar village in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. PTI

Pakistani troops resorted to cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday night, a day after the Indian armed forces targeted terror infrastructure in the neighbouring country as part of ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Army officials stated that during the night of May 7–8, Pakistani Army posts resorted to “unprovoked fire using small arms and artillery guns” across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Indian Army responded proportionately,” they said.

The shelling, which continued through Tuesday and Wednesday night, resulted in at least 13 fatalities and left dozens injured, following heavy artillery attacks by Pakistan that shook towns along the LoC in north Kashmir and Jammu’s Poonch region.

Local residents reported that they had not witnessed such intense shelling in recent years.

Early Wednesday morning, India officially announced that it had struck terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

In response, the Indian Army reported that Pakistan initiated unprovoked firing, including artillery shelling, from posts across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border opposite Jammu and Kashmir. “We are responding to the shelling in equal measure,” the Army stated.