Operation Sindoor: PM Modi Decided Codename For Targeted Strikes That Killed Over 80 Terrorists In Pakistan; Know The Reason Behind It
New Delhi: In a rare and emotionally charged move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally codenamed India’s latest cross-border military strike against Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as "Operation Sindoor". The name was not just symbolic, but a direct tribute to the widows of the 26 Indian civilians killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
According to reports quoting top government sources, the Prime Minister was deeply affected by the human cost of the attack and wanted the nation’s response to reflect both military resolve and emotional solidarity.
Why The Word 'Sindoor' Was Used?
The word sindoor, the traditional vermillion worn by married Hindu women, was chosen to evoke the profound personal loss faced by the families of the victims, especially the women left behind. At high-level meetings in the days following the massacre, PM Modi reportedly emphasised that the Pahalgam attack was designed to shatter families and create fear.
The response, he insisted, had to speak not only in the language of military strength but also through a powerful national message of remembrance and justice. Operation Sindoor, therefore, became both an act of retaliation and a public declaration of India's refusal to accept terror as the new normal.
The military action itself was one of the most major coordinated strikes by India in recent years. Carried out jointly by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, it targeted nine terror hideouts across Pakistani territory and PoK.
The operation involved high-precision airstrikes on infrastructure linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, terror groups long accused of orchestrating cross-border attacks on Indian soil. Strikes were confirmed in locations such as Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, Kotli and Sialkot.
Rafale Jets Equipped With High-Tech Missiles & Bombs Used
The Indian Air Force played a leading role in the operation, deploying Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP cruise missiles and Hammer precision-guided bombs. These strikes were conducted with surgical accuracy, designed to destroy terror launchpads without targeting civilian or military installations, thus keeping the operation "focused, measured and non-escalatory," as the government described it in a late-night statement.
India Announces 'Operation Sindoor'
At 1:44 am, the Ministry of Defence formally announced the launch of Operation Sindoor, calling it a strategic strike against the very infrastructure from which terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed. Meanwhile, diplomatic briefings were swiftly held with key international partners including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to shape the global narrative and underline India's right to self-defence.
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