'Will respond at time of our choosing': Pakistan warns after India's Operation Sindoor

According to defence sources, the Indian forces precisely targeted nine known terror camps, including those in Bahawalpur—believed to be a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group.

Tensions escalated dramatically between India and Pakistan after the Indian Armed Forces launched a series of targeted missile strikes early Wednesday (May 7) in a covert military operation codenamed "Operation Sindoor". The strikes were carried out in retaliation for the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of several Indian soldiers.

In a statement released at 1:44 am, the Indian Army said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."

According to defence sources, the Indian forces precisely targeted nine known terror camps, including those in Bahawalpur—believed to be a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group. The strikes were carefully planned to avoid civilian areas and aimed solely at eliminating terrorist infrastructure.

However, Pakistan has responded with sharp condemnation. In an official press release dated May 7, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan accused India of committing an "unprovoked and blatant act of war" and violating its sovereignty using stand-off weapons. It alleged that Indian missiles targeted civilian populations in Muridke and Bahawalpur, as well as areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

"India's act of aggression has resulted in the martyrdom of civilians, including women and children. This act of aggression has also caused grave threat to commercial air traffic," the statement claimed.

According to official sources in Pakistan, the attacks reportedly led to several civilian deaths and injuries. Islamabad further accused India of using the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to push its "sham narrative of victimhood" and to advance political objectives.

"Pakistan reserves the right to respond appropriately at a time and place of its choosing," the statement read, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter. "The government, armed forces and people of Pakistan stand united in the face of Indian aggression."

Meanwhile, India has maintained that no civilians were harmed in the strikes and reiterated that its actions were limited to neutralising terror threats emanating from across the border. The Ministry of Defence asserted that Operation Sindoor was a measured and precise counter-terror operation, undertaken to safeguard national security and deter future attacks.