🗓️ Published on May 7, 2025
✍️ NDTV News Desk
⏱️ Read Time: 2 Minutes
the first time since the 1971 India-Pakistan War, India has launched a joint military operation using its Army, Navy, and Air Force against terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The mission, code-named “Operation Sindoor,” was a swift, precise, and powerful response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, where 26 civilians, including many tourists, lost their lives.
🔥 What is Operation Sindoor?
Operation Sindoor is a coordinated military strike conducted by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure across the border. The operation took place at 1:44 AM on May 7, 2025, targeting nine high-value terrorist locations in Pakistan and PoK.
The mission is being hailed as India's most significant cross-border offensive since 1971, and the first time all three military wings have collaborated in active combat against Pakistan since that war
🎯 Why Was the Operation Launched?
The operation was launched in direct retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that occurred on April 23, 2025, in which 26 people — mostly tourists — were brutally killed. The attack shocked the nation and drew global condemnation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, vowing that the perpetrators would "pay a heavy price", ordered the military to prepare for a multi-pronged offensive to eliminate the source of cross-border terrorism.
🛡️ Execution of the
✅ Timing:
Launched at 1:44 AM on May 7, 2025.
✅ Forces Involved:
Indian Army
Indian Navy
Indian Air Force
✅ Weaponry Used:
Precision strike systems from all three services.
Kamikaze drones (loitering munitions) – self-destructing drones equipped with explosive warheads designed to strike with pinpoint accuracy.
📍 What Was Targeted?
According to military sources, nine terror facilities were precisely hit. Notably:
- 🏴☠️ Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur
- 🏴☠️ Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) command center in Muridke
- Other terror launchpads and logistic nodes used for planning and launching attacks on India
- 🧑✈️ Prime Minister Narendra Modi monitored the operation throughout the night.
- 🧠 National Security Advisor Ajit Doval coordinated the strategic execution.
- 📞 Doval also briefed US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately after the strikes, ensuring transparency with global allies.
- Military superiority without overreach
- Strategic restraint with powerful impact
- Clear distinction between Pakistan’s people/military and the terror groups operating within its borders
Importantly, the Army emphasized that no Pakistani military installations were targeted, showing that India intended to hit only terror infrastructure, not escalate into direct war.
🇮🇳 Why the Name ‘Operation Sindoor’?
While the military hasn’t officially revealed the reasoning behind the codename, analysts believe “Sindoor” symbolizes sacrifice, honor, and national pride. Often associated with marital commitment and sacred duty in Indian culture, the name likely reflects India’s emotional and moral resolve in avenging the deaths of innocent civilians.
🧭 Leadership and Diplomacy
⚖️ India’s Message to the World
By choosing to target only terrorist infrastructure while sparing Pakistani military sites, India demonstrated:
This measured yet strong response sends a signal: India will act decisively against terrorism while avoiding unnecessary war escalation.
🧾 What’s Next?
A full official briefing from the Indian Army is expected later today. The international community is watching closely, and global reactions will shape the diplomatic outcomes of this high-profile operation.