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Draft:7th May 2025 Operation Sindhoor: Indian cross-border strikes

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Operation Sindhoor

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Introduction

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Operation Sindhoor is a high-precision cross-border military operation launched by the Indian Armed Forces on May 7, 2025, in direct retaliation for a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025. The operation involved strikes on terrorist camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and extended into mainland Pakistan. It is regarded as a major strategic shift in India's counter-terror doctrine.

Background

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On April 22, 2025, a group of unarmed civilian tourists traveling near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, was ambushed by heavily armed terrorists. The brutal attack resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians mainly Hindus, including:

  • 25 Indian nationals from various states across the country, 1 Nepalese Hindu tourist, and 1 local Kashmiri Muslim worker associated with the tour group.

The responsibility for the massacre was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an operational front of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). According to Indian intelligence agencies, the attack was planned and coordinated from terror infrastructure located across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and in mainland Pakistan.

The attack was widely condemned by the international community and was recognized as a deliberate, sectarian act of violence against civilians. In response, the Government of India authorized Operation Sindhoor to neutralize the cross-border terror threat and ensure accountability.

Admission by Pakistani Defense Minister Live Telecast

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In a Sky News interview Timestamp 15:50, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated:

"We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about 3 decades... and the west, including Britain...That was a mistake"

This admission, while indirect, was widely interpreted as Pakistan's tacit acknowledgment of its role in fostering terror networks for strategic leverage.

🎯 Objectives of Operation Sindhoor

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The Indian government outlined clear strategic and tactical objectives for Operation Sindhoor, driven by national security imperatives and in response to the civilian massacre in Pahalgam:

  • Eliminate Identified Terror Infrastructure: Target and destroy active terrorist camps, launch pads, ammunition depots, and safehouses operating across PoJK and mainland Pakistan.
  • Decapitate Terrorist Leadership: Neutralize senior operatives and handlers of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), The Resistance Front (TRF), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), believed to be directly involved in orchestrating the Pahalgam attack.
  • Enforce a Strategic Deterrent: Send a clear and uncompromising message that India will respond decisively to cross-border terrorism targeting civilians, regardless of where it originates.
  • Protect Civilian Lives with Surgical Precision: Conduct all strikes using precision-guided munitions and satellite-confirmed targeting to ensure zero collateral damage and adherence to international humanitarian norms.
  • Maintain Tactical Superiority Without Escalation: Demonstrate India's ability to carry out high-impact military operations that are limited in scope but effective in outcome, thereby avoiding full-scale conflict while achieving key objectives.

🧠 Planning and Intelligence

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The planning of Operation Sindhoor was carried out with a high degree of coordination and discretion by the Indian Armed Forces and intelligence agencies, based on verified threats and actionable intelligence.

  • Intelligence Gathering: The operation was informed by multi-source intelligence, including surveillance footage, satellite imagery, and electronic intercepts, which confirmed the presence of terror infrastructure across PoJK and parts of mainland Pakistan.
  • Target Verification: Each strike location was confirmed through visual satellite confirmation, ensuring the targets were active and linked to groups responsible for the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam attack.
  • Precision-Driven Planning: The Indian military emphasized zero civilian casualties by relying on high-resolution reconnaissance and controlled targeting protocols. Targets included verified camps associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, The Resistance Front, and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
  • Real-Time Monitoring: During the execution phase, live monitoring and post-strike verification were used to assess the accuracy and impact of the operation, ensuring alignment with India's objective of a swift, controlled, and lawful response.

🚀 Execution

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Operation Sindhoor was carried out in the early hours of May 7, 2025, by the Indian Armed Forces, in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The strikes targeted multiple terror-linked sites across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and mainland Pakistan.

Key Details:

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  • The operation involved coordinated precision strikes on nine confirmed terrorist targets.
  • All targets were linked to groups responsible for the Pahalgam attack, including The Resistance Front (TRF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
  • The Indian Army later released video footage confirming successful hits on these locations, showing destruction of structures used for terrorist activity.
  • The strikes were planned and executed to avoid civilian casualties, using verified intelligence and surveillance imagery for target confirmation.

Targeted Areas:

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  • PoJK and Mainland Pakistan: Sites near Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi—all areas linked to past terror activity and radical group presence.
Serial Camps Serial Camps
1 SAWAI NALA 11 BOI
2 SYED NA BILAL 12 SENSA
3 MASKAR-E-AQSA 13 GULPUR
4 CHELABANDI 14 KOTLI
5 ABDULLAH BIN MASOOD 15 BARALI
6 DULAI 16 DUNGI
7 GARHI HABIBULLAH 17 BARNALA
8 BATRASI 18 MEHMOONA JOYA
9 BALAKOT 19 SARJAL
10 OGHI 20 MURIDKE
21 BAHAWALPUR

The Indian government stated that the operation was “measured, precise, and necessary,” with real-time monitoring ensuring compliance with India’s strategic and ethical standards

🛰️ Visual and Satellite Evidence (Confirmed Strike ) Terrorist Camps

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Following the execution of Operation Sindhoor, visual proof and satellite data were released to confirm precise strikes on specific terror-linked sites in Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi, all located in mainland Pakistan.

Indian Army Video Release Timestamp 18:16

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On May 9, 2025, the Indian Army released verified aerial strike footage confirming precision hits on terror camps. Footage showed:

  • Precision target strikes, Infrared confirmation of impact, No civilian structures affected.

🛰️ Visual and Satellite Evidence (Confirmed Strike ) OP Sindhoor 2.0

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Indian Army Video Release

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On May 9, 2025, the Indian Army released verified aerial strike footage confirming precision hits on terror camps. Footage showed:

  • Precision Air Strikes, Infrared confirmation of impact, No civilian structures affected.

High-resolution satellite imagery captured before-and-after visuals confirming facility destruction in Muridke and Bahawalpur.These three strikes were independently verified through a combination of: Indian Army-released footage (public domain), KawaSpace high-resolution satellite imagery, and MizarVision thermal and structural assessments.

All evidence confirmed minimal or zero civilian presence, validating India’s operational emphasis on surgical precision and target-specific engagement.

In Short

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  • IAF struck eight Pakistani military bases on May 10 using advanced cruise missiles
  • Satellite images show damage to radar, command centres, ammunition depots
  • Bholari and Shahbaz airbases hit, targeting hangars and possibly ATC building

The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted coordinated precision strikes on at least eight Pakistani military bases on May 10, with satellite imagery confirming significant damage to infrastructure and ground assets. These included radar installations, command and control centres, and ammunition depots in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur and Sialkot. As per open-source experts, the attacks were carried out using advanced air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs), likely the BrahMos.

Kawa Space, a satellite intelligence agency based in Bengaluru, shared a bomb damage assessment image of a PAF(Pakistan Air Force) base in Bholari, Jacocabad and Mushaf in Pakistan, showing the impact of a precision strike.

High resolution Imagery shows a direct hit on a hangar at Pakistan Air Force’s Bholari Air Base. Debris and structural damage were visible, with the strike's proximity to the runway suggesting that the targeted hangar may have had a quick reaction alert role.

At Shahbaz Airbase in Jacobabad, another precision strike hit a hangar on the main apron. KawaSpace imagery also suggests possible secondary damage to the air traffic control (ATC) building at the site.

Sargodha Air Base was also hit at two locations, with updated imagery showing rubble at both the centre of the runway and its intersection.

Imagery from a Chinese satellite firm, MizazVision, shared by open-source expert Damein Symon on his X handle confirms that Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase was targeted as well. The Indian Air Force strike reportedly focused on disabling ground support vehicles and critical infrastructure on site.

Satellite images confirm India’s strike on Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase, a key military facility just 10 km from Islamabad that surrounds the Islamabad International Airport. Formerly known as PAF Station Chaklala, the base supports military operations, VIP transport, aerial refuelling, and is home to multiple transport squadrons and PAF College Chaklala, which trains future air force officers.

The first site is a small courtyard near the apron where PAF transport aircraft are stationed, showing signs of burning and vehicle destruction—likely fuel trucks—which aligns with the intense fire seen on the night of the attack. The second site shows damage to the roof of a warehouse.

During a press briefing on Sunday, the Indian Armed Forces shared before-after images of Pakistani air defence radars destroyed by India. Satellite images show damage to air defence radars at Pasrur, Chunian and Arifwala.

Outcomes

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Category Details
Terrorist Casualties 90 - 100 operatives killed, including senior TRF/LeT leaders
Facilities Destroyed 6 of 9 targets confirmed destroyed
PAF Base Destroyed 8 targets confirmed hit with viasul proofs
Indian Casualties 5 soldiers martyred (In retaliation from Pakistan ceasefire Violation)
Civilian Casualties Zero

Statements and Reactions

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Indian Government

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"India acted with precision and restraint. This operation is a testament to our resolve to defend civilians against terror."

Prime Minister of India

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"This was not an act of revenge but of justice. We will protect our people at all costs."

International Community

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  • Allies like France, Israel, Australia and Russia supported India’s right to self-defense.
  • Some Western outlets urged restraint, but recognized India’s operational precision.

Pakistan

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  • Denied all charges; claimed civilian areas were targeted.
  • These claims were disproved via Indian and third-party satellite imagery.

Strategic and Political Impact

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  • Reinforced India’s deterrence doctrine beyond PoJK.
  • Set a precedent for use of high-precision, satellite-guided cross-border strikes.
  • Increased India’s strategic credibility in global counter-terror frameworks.

Media Coverage

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  • Sky News: Aired Pakistani Defence Minister's controversial admission for terrorist funding and camps.
  • WION: First to broadcast Army-released video footage.
  • ANI, Times of India, Economic Times and Other Western news publication: Covered political and diplomatic fallouts.

Controversies and Denials

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  • Pakistan denied the existence of terror camps.
  • But visual evidence from KawaSpace, MizarVision, and Indian drones directly contradicted Pakistan claims.
  • Some Western commentators raised concerns about escalation, which India dismissed as unwarranted given the precision and limited scope.

See Also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pakistan warns Kashmir row could lead to 'all-out war' with India – The World with Yalda Hakim". Sky News Australia. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  2. ^ "LIVE: Press Briefing by DGMOs of All Three Services on Operation Sindoor". Press Information Bureau (PIB India) via YouTube. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  3. ^ "Full Press Conference: Indian Army, IAF, Navy give detailed press briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'". Hindustan Times via YouTube. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  4. ^ "Transcript of Special Briefing on OPERATION SINDOOR". Ministry of External Affairs. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  5. ^ "Operation Sindoor: Understanding context and consequences". Observer Research Foundation. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  6. ^ "From Bahawalpur to Sialkot: All about the 9 sites hit in Operation Sindoor". The Economic Times. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  7. ^ "Operation Sindoor: 10 things to know as India launches strike on terrorist bases". The Times of India. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  8. ^ "Operation Sindoor: Precision strikes across terror hubs in Pakistan, PoK". WION. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  9. ^ "Pakistan cannot deny India airstrike photos or ever forget them". Mathrubhumi English. May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-12.