India targets 9 terror facilities in Pakistan based on credible intelligence

Over the past two weeks, India has carefully identified terrorist camps for targeted strikes from both land and air. The decision to target deep into Pakistani territory marks a significant escalation in response to terrorist activities. Following extensive discussions on military options after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces a ‘free hand’, ‘Operation Sindoor’ was launched in the early hours of Wednesday.

Col Sophia Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who briefed the media, stated that the selection of targets for the operation was based on credible intelligence inputs and the role these facilities played in perpetrating terror activities. The locations were carefully chosen to minimise damage to civilian installations and loss of civilian lives, reflecting the operation’s precision and strategic intent.

The targets were selected based on their historical engagement in terror activities, having been monitored by Indian intelligence for harbouring extremist elements, serving as operational bases, or facilitating terrorist movements. This selection process utilised a sophisticated integration of satellite surveillance, human intelligence, and intercepted communications to identify specific buildings and compounds associated with groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

‘Operation Sindoor’ marked a departure from past responses, both in scale and precision, employing high-accuracy standoff weapons to ensure minimal collateral damage and a surgical impact on intended targets. The operation aimed to distinguish between anti-terror operations and full-scale military aggression, a distinction crucial in the current geopolitical context.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted that intelligence monitoring indicated impending further attacks against India, necessitating both deterrence and pre-emption. He cited the case of Sajid Mir as a glaring example of Pakistan’s activities regarding terrorism, where Mir was declared dead and then, under international pressure, found alive and arrested.

Regarding the recent Pahalgam attack, Misri noted that it has generated deep anger across Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack, which Misri identified as a front for the UN-proscribed Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Investigations, including eyewitness accounts and intelligence, have progressed in identifying the attackers and understanding the planners and backers of this team.

Misri also mentioned that India had provided inputs about TRF to the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, highlighting its role as a cover for Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Notably, Pakistan pressured for the removal of references to TRF in the April 25 UN Security Council Press Statement, a move Misri found significant in this context.

India