From Pahalgam attack to Operation Sindoor: Timeline of India's response to Pakistani antics

India launched Operation Sindoor, striking targets in Pakistan, two weeks after a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir killed 26 civilians. 

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India has launched strikes against Pakistan through 'Operation Sindoor', retaliating for a deadly terrorist attack on April 22 that killed over two dozen civilians, mostly Hindu tourists, in the disputed Kashmir region. This escalation is the latest in a decades-long conflict over Kashmir, a scenic valley in the Himalayas wedged between the two nuclear-armed nations.

The strikes, which occurred two weeks after the attack, resulted in at least eight fatalities, according to Pakistani officials. Pakistan has vowed to respond, but has not specified when or how.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack, citing opposition to Indian policies. India accused Pakistan-based terrorists of being behind the attack, with evidence pointing to operatives in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, a claim that Pakistan has repeatedly denied.

The attack led to widespread international condemnation, with US President Donald Trump expressing solidarity with India. The Indian government vowed to take strong action against those responsible, with Prime Minister Modi stating that they would face "unimaginable consequences."

The situation remains volatile, with both India and Pakistan on high alert. Here is a timeline from Pahalgam attack to Operation Sindoor:

April 22, 2025: A terror attack occurs in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, killing 26 people, including 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.¹

April 23, 2025: India announces diplomatic measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari-Wagah border, and canceling the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals.

April 24, 2025: An all-party meeting in Parliament condemns the attack and resolves to fight terrorism.

April 25, 2025: Prime Minister Modi vows strongest response to the attack.

April 26, 2025: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) registers a new First Information Report (FIR) and takes over the investigation from Jammu and Kashmir Police.

April 27, 2025: NIA finds links to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

April 29, 2025: NIA investigations reveal that one of the Pakistani terrorists involved in the attack is a former para-commando of Pakistan's Special Forces, who was loaned to LeT by ISI.

April 30, 2025: India bans Pakistani airlines from its airspace.

May 2, 2025: NIA's preliminary report on the Pahalgam attack details the planning of the attack at LeT's Pakistan headquarters, with ISI directives.

May 7, 2025: India launches Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.