New Delhi: India on Wednesday carried out precision strikes across nine locations identified as terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Indian forces hit four targets in Pakistan and five in PoK, using specialised munitions. The strikes were aimed at dismantling infrastructure of terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Pakistan’s army has claimed that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the strikes.
Briefing on the strikes, India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said that India exercised its right to respond, preempt as well as deter more cross-border attacks such as the one in Pahalgam, and asserted that it focused on dismantling the terror infrastructure and disabling terrorists.
Misri described the operation as measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible, while military officials said the strikes were executed within 25 minutes, detailing why these specific locations were targeted.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday told his counterparts in various countries that India has no intent to escalate tensions but is prepared to “retaliate resolutely” if Pakistan does so, officials said.
Doval briefed his counterparts in the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and Japan about India’s missile strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He also established contact with Russia and France, officials said.
“NSA briefed his counterparts on actions taken and method of execution, which was measured, non-escalatory and restrained. He emphasised that India had no intent to escalate but was well prepared to retaliate resolutely should Pakistan decide to escalate,” an official said.
The conversations took place soon after India carried out Operation Sindoor at nine sites.
He spoke to US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UK’s Jonathan Powell, Saudi Arabia’s Musaid Al Aiban, UAE’s H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon, and Japan’s Masataka Okano.
