Strikes at all 9 targets including Bahawalpur, Muridke successful

Strikes at all 9 targets including Bahawalpur, Muridke successful

India destroys terror infra of LeT, JeM, HM in Pak, PoJK

We used right to respond through Operation Sindoor: DM

Ready to retaliate if Pak escalates tensions: NSA

NEW DELHI, May 7:

In a strong retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre, Indian Armed Forces early today destroyed nine terror sites including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) using deep strike missiles in a 25-minute-long “measured and non-escalatory” mission.

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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India decided to carry out the “proportionate” strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the Pahalgam attack to justice as there was “no demonstrable step” from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control. It was for the first time since the 1971 Indo-Pak war that India carried out an aerial attack deep inside Punjab province of Pakistan.

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Fifteen days after the Pahalgam carnage on April 22, the targets for the military response codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’ included the Jaish-e-Mohammad(JeM) stronghold of Bahawalpur in Punjab province that is located at over 100 km from the Indian border.
Under ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian military targeted Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen’s Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot and LeT’s base in Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and its camp in Muzaffarabad’s Shawai Nalla, military officials said. Muridke, located a short distance from Lahore, is home to a sprawling “markaz” or base of the LeT.
Indian officials said the strikes on all nine targets including Bahawalpur and Muridke were successful.
The operation was conducted from 1:05 am to 1:30 am and all the targets were neutralised with clinical efficiency, two women officers — Col Sophia Qureshi of the Army’s Corps of Signals, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot of the IAF, said at a media briefing alongside Misri.
In his remarks, Misri said the Indian military carried out the “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible” military strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure to “deter and pre-empt” any further terrorist strikes.
“Our intelligence monitoring of Pakistan-based terrorist modules indicated that further attacks against India were impending.”
He further said India’s actions were in line with the UN Security Council’s statement about holding perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the Pahalgam attack accountable.
Wing Commander Singh said Indian Armed Forces are fully prepared to respond to Pakistani “misadventure, if any, to escalate the situation.”
The two women officers, providing an overview of ‘Operation Sindoor’, said the strikes on the terror camps was undertaken through precision capability, using weapons with careful selection of warheads that ensured no collateral damage.
“The point of impact in each of the target was a specific building or a group of buildings,” said Singh.
“The world must show zero tolerance for terrorism,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
India’s military scripted “history” by acting with “precision, precaution and compassion” in destroying terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir under ‘Operation Sindoor’, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today.
In his first remarks following the strike, Singh said India used its “right to respond” to the Pahalgam attack and that the targets were destroyed as per plan.
“Through Operation Sindoor, India has used its ‘right to respond’ to the attack on its soil, and the armed forces scripted history by acting with precision, precaution and compassion to destroy the camps used to train terrorists in Pakistan and PoK,” he said addressing the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Raising Day celebrations.
The Defence Minister asserted that the targets were destroyed and no civilian population was harmed as per the plan. “The whole world has witnessed what our armed forces have done today. The action was carried out very thoughtfully and in a measured manner,” he said.
“It was limited only to the camps and other infrastructure used for training terrorists, with the aim of breaking their morale,” Singh said.
“I congratulate the armed forces on behalf of the whole country. I also congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing complete support to the forces,” he added.
“We have followed the ideals of Lord Hanuman. Just as he said during the destruction of Ashok Vatika – ‘jin mohi maara, tin mohi maare’ (I only struck those who attacked me) – we too have targeted only those who killed our innocent people,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, 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.
“Contact was also established with Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Member of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of PRC Wang Yi and Diplomatic Adviser to French President Emmanuel Bonne,” the official said.
Doval will be in further touch with his counterparts in the days ahead. (PTI)