In a Cabinet meeting convened after the retaliatory attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed his ministers about Operation Sindoor, the pinpoint strike by Indian Armed Forces on May 7 against terrorist strongholds in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Sources have confirmed that PM Modi said the operation had been carried out ‘flawlessly’ according to previous planning. The ministers once again expressed their backing, saying the country was standing solidly behind the Prime Minister.
Earlier, the Indian Defence Forces had provided a graphic description of Operation Sindoor, which was against nine terror infrastructure, four located in Pakistan, such as Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The raids were conducted through precision weapons in a highly choreographed operation that included the Indian Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
The operation was a direct retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead, all of whom were primarily tourists. The Ministry of Defence said that these strikes were directed at eliminating terror infrastructure run by outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri characterized the strike as ‘measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible’, and said that its intention was to ‘deter and to pre-empt’ additional terror attacks. Speaking at a press conference with Col. Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Misri stated, “Our intelligence surveillance of Pakistan-based terror modules had suggested that additional attacks on India were imminent.”
He also added that there was ‘no demonstrable’ attempt by Islamabad to target terror organizations on its soil or in its controlled territory. He laid stress on urgently holding the perpetrators and masterminds of the April 22 attack accountable.
