Operation Sindoor hit the heart of Pakistan

Operation Sindoor of Indian forces shattered not just terror camps, but the spine and will of Pakistani terrorists. Operation is unique because, for the first time, India has targeted terror camps in the heart of Pakistan – Punjab since 1971. In the earlier 2016 Uri and 2019 Pulwama counterstrikes, camps in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and adjoining Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were hit by India.

It was a 25-minute operation in which nine terror camps were targeted, of which four were in Pakistan's Punjab province, said Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh in a media briefing on Wednesday.

One of the terror camps in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab, is, in fact, 100km from the Indo-Pakistan International Border (IB). Bahawalpur also houses one of the regimental centres of the Pakistani Army. However, India has made it clear that no Pakistani military infrastructure were targeted in Wednesday's pre-dawn strikes.

Operation Sindoor was big and unique because four terror camps in Punjab were attacked by Indian forces. They were: Markaz Subhan Allah Camp (in Bahawalpur district), Markaz Taiba Camp (in Sheikhupura district), Mehmoona Joya Camp (in Sialkot district), and Sarjal Camp (in Sialkot district).

Over 80 terrorists were killed across the nine locations in India's strikes on Wednesday that were in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists killed 26 people.

Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh gave a detailed description of the terror history of the camps targeted, including the four in Pakistan's Punjab.

It was the barbarity of the Pahalgam terror attack that made India go for a major retaliation, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. "This was the largest number of civilian casualties since the 26/11 terror attacks. The Pahalgam attack was marked by extreme barbarity, with people killed with headshots in front of their families. The members were asked to take back the message," said Misri.