Operation Sindoor: India Targets Terror Camps, Pakistan Responds with Force

India's Ministry of Defense announced the launch of Operation Sindoor, targeting Pakistan. The ministry clarified that no Pakistani military sites were struck, emphasizing instead that the missile strikes were aimed at terrorist camps.

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Indian soldiers

"These actions were taken following the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indians and one Nepalese citizen. We are committed to holding those responsible accountable," India's Defense Ministry said.

Pakistan Confirms Missile Strikes

Pakistan confirmed that it was targeted by Indian missile strikes. Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stated that the attacks hit Kotli, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad.

Chaudhry added that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets were scrambled in response and called India's actions "cowardly and treacherous."

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the Indian attack an act of war.

"Pakistan has the full right to respond decisively to this act of war imposed by India — and that response has already been delivered," the Pakistani PM said.

Pakistan Retaliates with Missile Strike on India

According to SAMAA TV, Pakistan's military shot down two Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets near Bahawalpur. One of the aircraft was reportedly downed after violating Pakistan's airspace.

Radar systems detected an unprovoked incursion by an Indian aircraft into Pakistani territory. In response, Pakistani forces acted in line with standard protocols to intercept and neutralize the threat, SAMAA TV said. 

The network also published an alleged photo of one of the downed jets. However, Pakistan's Ministry of Defense has not yet officially confirmed the incident.

Pakistan Closes Airspace for 48 Hours

The Pakistani government has decided to close its airspace to all flights for 48 hours.

According to SAMAA TV, Islamabad's international airport has been shut down for all inbound and outbound flights, which are being rerouted to Karachi. The Civil Aviation Authority stated that normal flight operations will resume once the situation stabilizes.

At least two Russian flights were forced to change course due to the airspace closure. For example, Aeroflot Flight SU 284 from Moscow to Phuket returned to Sheremetyevo Airport, and Flight SU 232 from Moscow to Delhi was diverted to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Details

Jammu and Kashmir (abbr J&K) is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory. Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir has persisted in protest over autonomy and rights. Provisions for the formation of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were contained within the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, which was passed by both houses of the Parliament of India in August 2019. The act re-constituted the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, one being Jammu and Kashmir and the other being Ladakh, with effect from 31 October 2019.