India carried out a series of targeted strikes on Pakistani territory late Tuesday in retaliation for the April 22 massacre of Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, in one of the most severe escalations between the nuclear-armed neighbors in recent years.
The Indian Ministry of Defense announced it had launched “Operation Sindoor,” striking what it described as terrorist infrastructure in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. At least nine locations were hit, with reports of three fatalities and 12 injuries confirmed by Pakistani officials. Pakistan has vowed to respond, further inflaming tensions across the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Himalayan region.
The operation comes two weeks after suspected Islamist militants ambushed and killed 26 Indian civilians, mostly pilgrims, near the resort town of Pahalgam in Indian Kashmir. The attack marked the deadliest assault on Indian civilians in nearly two decades, prompting outrage across the country and mounting calls for retribution.
Artillery and Airstrikes Rock Border Region
According to eyewitnesses and local police, heavy artillery exchanges erupted overnight at multiple locations along the LoC, accompanied by the sound of fighter jets. Indian TV footage—yet to be independently verified by Reuters—appeared to show explosions lighting up the night sky, fires burning, and panicked residents fleeing their homes in parts of Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
The Indian army later declared on social media: “Justice is served.”
In a press statement, the Indian government emphasized that the strikes were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” adding that no Pakistani military installations were targeted. It also claimed that only facilities used to plan cross-border terrorism were struck. The operation’s name, “Sindoor,” refers to the red vermilion traditionally worn by married Hindu women—a symbol of marital status that is discontinued upon widowhood. The symbolic naming is seen as a tribute to the widows of the massacre victims.
Pakistan Claims Civilian Casualties and Denounces Indian Narrative
The Pakistani military disputed India’s claims, stating that all targeted sites were civilian in nature, including two mosques, and denied any connection to terrorist activity. Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif asserted that India launched the strikes from within its own airspace using missile systems, and labeled India’s justification as “baseless propaganda.”
In the wake of the strikes, Pakistan declared a state of emergency in the populous Punjab province. Hospitals were placed on high alert, and emergency response systems were activated. Power outages were reported in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, immediately after the explosions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was actively responding to the Indian offensive but provided no specifics. Intelligence officials in Pakistan also claimed they had advance warning of an impending Indian operation following India’s public pledge to avenge the Kashmir killings.
International Response and Broader Implications
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a White House event on the evening of May 6, acknowledged the situation but offered a cautious response. “I just hope it ends very quickly,” he said, reflecting the international community’s growing anxiety over potential escalation between the two nuclear states.
The cross-border attacks risk further destabilizing an already volatile region. Tensions between India and Pakistan have long flared over the status of Kashmir, a region both claim in full but govern in part. Periodic ceasefire violations and skirmishes are not uncommon, but the scale and directness of Tuesday’s strikes mark a significant shift in India’s military posture.
What Comes Next?
While both sides have stopped short of full-scale war, the events of the past 24 hours suggest a dangerously narrowing diplomatic space. India has reiterated that its actions were defensive and aimed solely at dismantling militant threats. Pakistan, on the other hand, has cast the operation as an unprovoked assault on civilians.
The international community, particularly the United Nations and key regional stakeholders like China and the U.S., are expected to call for de-escalation and possibly broker dialogue to avert a broader conflict.
Whether Operation Sindoor remains a one-time punitive strike or the opening salvo in a longer campaign will largely depend on the next moves by Islamabad—and how New Delhi responds in turn.
Why This Matters
This escalation between India and Pakistan underscores the ongoing volatility in Kashmir and the broader geopolitical risks posed by militant violence. With both countries maintaining sizable nuclear arsenals, any military confrontation—even one labeled “measured”—raises the stakes for regional and global security.
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