India on Wednesday confirmed that its military carried out airstrikes on what it described as terrorist infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, following Islamabad’s alleged inaction after a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.
The operation, named Operation Sindoor, was conducted between 1:05 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. local time and lasted 25 minutes, according to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who briefed the media.
This marks the deepest incursion by Indian forces into Pakistani territory since the 1971 conflict between the two nations.
Indian officials declined to respond to claims by Pakistan that five Indian Air Force aircraft were downed during the operation. These assertions have not been independently verified.
The press briefing began with a video presentation highlighting past terror incidents in India, which New Delhi attributes to Pakistan-based groups. Pakistan has consistently denied involvement in such attacks.
Footage shared during the briefing reportedly showed the aerial strikes on designated targets in Pakistan. Officials also presented a map indicating the locations of alleged Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed training facilities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated allegations that Islamabad bears responsibility for the April civilian killings in Kashmir, accusing Pakistan of harboring and supporting militant groups active in the disputed region.
“More than two weeks have passed since the attack, and we have not seen any concrete steps from Pakistan to dismantle terrorist infrastructure within its borders or in territories it controls,” Misri said.
He added that the strike locations were identified based on intelligence inputs.
Colonel Qureshi emphasized that no Pakistani military sites were targeted and that India had received no confirmed reports of civilian casualties on the ground.
However, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s military told Reuters that at least 26 civilians had been killed as a result of the Indian operation.
