“A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the ministry of defence said in a statement issued at 1.44 am on May 7, 2025.“Altogether, nine (9) sites have been targeted,” the statement added, while making it clear that no Pakistani military installations had been struck and that the operation was “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature.”Today India marks one year of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and it is still seen as a defining moment in the country’s counter-terror doctrine, a swift military response launched after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Conducted in a rapid 25-minute window between 1.05 am and 1.30 am on May 7, the operation targeted terror infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen.April 22: Pahalgam attack shocks nationThe chain of events began in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley on April 22, 2025. What is usually known as a scenic tourist meadow turned into the site of one of the deadliest terror attacks in Kashmir since Pulwama in 2019.Terrorists belonging to The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, entered a civilian area, allegedly separated victims based on religion, and killed 26 people, including a Nepali national. The attack triggered outrage across India and drew condemnation from world leaders.April 23-24: India downgrades ties with PakistanExternal affairs minister S Jaishankar, foreign secretary Vikram Misri and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal briefed the media on New Delhi’s measures.India downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, sealed the Attari-Wagah border, declared Pakistani diplomats persona non grata, and suspended visas for Pakistani nationals. India also carried out naval missile tests and large-scale Indian Air Force drills.A day later, during a rally in Bihar’s Madhubani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed action, saying, “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers.” Pakistan retaliated diplomatically by suspending visas for Indians, shutting its airspace to Indian-operated aircraft, halting trade, and suspending the Simla Agreement.April 27-30: War clouds gatherAddressing the nation during Mann Ki Baat on April 27, Modi said, “As I speak to you in Mann Ki Baat today, there is deep anguish in my heart. The terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 has pained every citizen of the country.” On April 30, Pakistan claimed India was preparing military action. Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad had “credible intelligence” that India intended to launch military operations within 24-36 hours.
May 7: Operation Sindoor beginsIn the early hours of May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor from Indian soil, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The tri-services operation, carried out from Indian soil, targeted nine terror camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Foreign secretary Vikram Misri, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Lt Colonel Sofiya Qureshi later briefed the media, reiterating that the strikes were “focused and non-escalatory”.Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said, “Nine terror camps were targeted and destroyed” in direct retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. “The targets for Operation Sindoor were based on credible intelligence inputs and locations that were selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives,” she added.The operation was carried out in a swift 25-minute window between 1.05 am and 1.30 am.Lt Colonel Sofiya Qureshi later detailed the nine terror sites that were hit:
- Shawai Nallah Camp, Muzaffarabad (PoK): An LeT training facility linked to the Sonamarg and Gulmarg attacks in 2024, as well as the Pahalgam attack.
- Muridke, Pakistan: A major terror hub where 26/11 attackers Ajmal Kasab and David Headley were trained.
- Sarjal Camp, Sialkot: An LeT facility located around 6 km inside Pakistan, linked to attacks on J&K Police personnel.
- Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala (PoK): A centre for weapons, IED and jungle warfare training.
- Markaz Abbas, Kotli (PoK): A camp used for training fidayeen attackers.
- Mehmoona Joya Camp, Sialkot: A Hizbul Mujahideen control centre linked to operations in the Kathua-Jammu belt and the Pathankot airbase attack.
- Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur: The headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
- Syedna Bilal Camp, Muzaffarabad: A JeM weapons and explosives training facility.
- Maskar Raheel Shahid Gulpur Camp, Kotli: An LeT camp linked to the 2023 Poonch attack and the 2024 pilgrimage bus attack.
Mock drills were also conducted across several Indian cities, including Delhi, Chandigarh and Varanasi, to prepare civilians for any escalation.In the days that followed, India intercepted Pakistani drones across 36 locations stretching from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi later described the operation as a “new normal” and said India would continue to respond to terrorism “in a language they understand.”May 7-8: Pakistan’s drone offensive and India’s responsePakistan responded with drone strikes and heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), triggering a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.On the night of May 7 and 8, Pakistan attempted multiple airspace violations across India’s western border and launched nearly 300-400 drones across 36 locations targeting military infrastructure. Indian forces intercepted and neutralised many of the drones using both kinetic and non-kinetic systems.Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said India’s response remained “precise” and “non-escalatory”, stressing that only terrorist infrastructure was targeted. He also condemned Pakistan’s attacks, which killed 16 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.Lt Colonel Sofiya Qureshi detailed the scale of the Pakistani offensive during a media briefing. “On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border with the intention of targeting military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy caliber weapons along the Line of Control,” she said.“Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations. The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means,” she added.Qureshi said the large-scale aerial intrusion appeared aimed at testing India’s air defence network and gathering intelligence.“The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones,” she said.May 9: India escalates retaliationIndia launched a major retaliatory strike on May 9 after Pakistan targeted Indian military bases. IAF drone strikes destroyed a Chinese-origin HQ-9 surface-to-air missile and radar system in Lahore. Other locations targeted included Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Attock, Bahawalpur, Miano and areas near Karachi.Earlier in the day, Pakistan attempted strikes on Indian Air Force bases in Awantipura, Srinagar and Uttarlai, along with Army installations in Jammu, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Chandigarh. India’s multi-layered air defence network, led by the S-400 ‘Triumf’ missile system, intercepted the attacks.Lt Colonel Qureshi said Pakistan “used drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter jets to attack India’s military sites.” “Pakistan tried to infiltrate via air at more than 26 places, and they damaged our equipment and personnel at air force bases in Udhampur, Bhuj, Pathankot and Bathinda,” she said.“They used high-speed missiles at 1:40 am to target Punjab’s air base. They even attacked health facilities and schools,” she added. She further said Pakistan targeted Army hospitals in Srinagar, Avantipur and Udhampur.Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) said Pakistan initiated “unprovoked firing” on BSF posts in the Jammu sector. “The terrorist launch pad at Looni, District Sialkot opposite Akhnoor area was completely destroyed by the BSF. Our resolve to protect India’s sovereignty is unshaken,” the BSF said.May 10: Ceasefire announced, violations followIndia confirmed that an understanding had been reached between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries to halt all military activity across land, air and sea.Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistan’s DGMO contacted his Indian counterpart at 3.35 pm on May 10, after which both sides agreed to stop all firing and military operations from 5 pm IST.But only hours later, explosions were heard again in Srinagar and adjoining areas. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted sharply on social media, posting: “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!! This is no ceasefire. The air defence units in the middle of Srinagar just opened up.”A complete blackout was imposed in Barmer and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan; Ferozepur, Pathankot, Moga, Fazilka and Patiala in Punjab; Ambala in Haryana; and Jammu, Kathua, Nagrota, Rajouri and Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir.Normalcy returned in states along the India-Pakistan border. During a three-day confrontation, the armed forces had inflicted significant damage on Pakistani military assets during the three-day confrontation. DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai stated that 35-40 Pakistani military personnel were killed. Defence minister Rajnath Singh later said more than 100 terrorists had been eliminated during Operation Sindoor.May 12-13: PM Modi addresses nationOn May 12, Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation for the first time since the operation began, dedicating Operation Sindoor “to every mother of our country, to every sister of the country.” A day later, Pakistan confirmed that 11 of its military personnel had been killed and 78 injured in the Indian strikes.One year later: A new doctrineMonths after the operation, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi described the military phase of Operation Sindoor as an “88-hour” campaign and warned Pakistan against repeating “something that barbaric again” .One year later, the Indus Waters Treaty remains suspended, reflecting India’s hardened position that “terror and talks cannot go together” .In his Independence Day speech in 2025, PM Modi had said, “India has now decided, blood and water will not flow together.” The suspension of the treaty marked one of the biggest strategic shifts in India-Pakistan relations in decades. The agreement, signed in 1960, governed the sharing of waters from the Indus river system, including the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers.As India marks one year of Operation Sindoor, the operation is increasingly being viewed as a turning point in New Delhi’s approach towards cross-border terrorism, one that established what the government has repeatedly described as a “new normal” in India’s security doctrine.
