What is Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos? Here's why Pakistan picked Quran verse for its military op

In response to India's ongoing Operation Sindoor avenging the deaths of innocent civilians in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, Pakistan has launched Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos.

The operation seeks to target India's strategic military installations, a mission that Pakistan has been pursuing of the past few days but in vain. India's air defence systems have intercepted and destroyed the drones and missiles sent by Paksitan over the past three days.

What is Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos?

Bunyan al-Marsoos is a verse from the Quran. The Arabic phrase translates to "a structure made of lead". It broadly means "a firm and compact structure". Al Jazeera reported that name was taken from a Quran verse that reads: "Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure."

So why did Pakistan name their operation after this? It has been reported that Islamabad is trying show itself as an unbreachable wall. This also reflects Pakistan's efforts to deny India's attacks on its military installations and convince its citizens that its air defence systems are secure.

The use of Quran verse is also seen as Pakistan's efforts to gain support from Muslim-majority nations. Though Turkey has openly supported Pakistan, countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran have called for de-escalation of tensions.

In retaliation against the Pahalgam terror attack carried out by Pakistan-backed terror group, The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, India destroyed nine targets in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.

Days before the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan army chief Asim Munir made a speech on communal lines. "Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different... That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory," the embattled army chief of Pakistan said back in April 16.

However, India has thwarted Pakistan's attempts to create communal tensions in the country, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri saying, "India's steadfast unity in itself is a challenge to Pakistan." He said Islamabad is seeking to give a communal colour to the ongoing tensions.

World