Indian strikes, codenamed Operation Sindoor, caught Pakistan off guard as all three forces launched precision missile attacks in retaliation for the Pahalgam carnage that left 26 tourists dead. Here's a recap of major developments today.

In a bold and coordinated military action, the Indian armed forces carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’ - a high-precision missile strike targeting nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 25 Indian civilians and a Nepali national on April 22.

The targets included Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)'s Bahawalpur HQ, Lasher-e-Toiba (LeT)’s base in Muridke, and several key infrastructure hubs of Hizbul Mujahideen, marking India’s most comprehensive crossborder military strike in over 50 years.

The strikes were carried out entirely from Indian airspace using a mix of, loitering munitions (which hover before attacking), precision-guided missiles, and Air Force, Navy, and Army strike coordination.

lList of 9 terror sites that India struck in Pakistan, PoK

Bahawlpur: 100 km inside Pakistan

Muridke: 30 km inside Pakistan

Gulpur: 35 km inside Pakistan

Sawai Camp: 30 km inside Pakistan

Bilal Camp: Distance not specified

Kotli Camp: 15 km inside PoK

Barnala Camp:10 km inside PoK

Sarjal Camp: 8 km inside PoK

Mehmoona Camp: 15 km inside PoK

From Operation Sindoor strike to Rajnath Singh's right to respond: A RECAP

1 - On Wednesday, Defence Ministry confirmed the Indian strikes against Pakistan were part of ‘Operation Sindoor’, describing them as "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature." The operation targeted terror infrastructure involved in planning attacks against India.

The operation was carefully calibrated—focused, non-escalatory, and designed to avoid Pakistani military installations. India, in an official statement, said it has exercised restraint in both the selection of targets and the method of execution.

2 - Pakistan Prime Minister Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the Indian strikes as “an act of war” and Islamabad has vowed to retaliate.

3 - At 10 am, in a historic first, two women officers, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, took centre stage as they addressed the media following India’s execution of Operation Sindoor. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri was also present and addressed the media. They shared details of how the strikes were carried out, specifying the locations of the targeted sites.

Video footage that demonstrated successful strikes on terror camps in Muridke and other parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) were shown. The footage, captured by onboard targeting systems and surveillance drones, showed multiple direct hits on key terrorist infrastructure, including camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

4 - PM Modi hailed the Indian armed forces for carrying out Operation Sindoor, terming it a "moment of proud for everyone". The prime minister chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet, hours after India struck terror targets in Pakistan and PoK.

Soon after defence minister informed the Cabinet about Operation Sindoor, the entire Cabinet hailed the action and the prime minister's leadership with thumping of desks. The Prime Minister, who was continuously monitoring India's strikes which lasted 25 minutes, told his ministers that this is a new India. PM Modi also said that the operation was necessary, stating, “The entire nation was looking towards us. We are proud of our armed forces.”

5 - Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meet with Chief Ministers, DCPs, Chief Secretaries of states bordering Pakistan and Nepal after Operation Sindoor." Proud of our armed forces. Operation Sindoor is Bharat's response to the brutal killing of our innocent brothers in Pahalgam. The Modi government is resolved to give a befitting response to any attack on India and its people. Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating terrorism from its roots," Shah said.

6 - As many as 15 Indians were killed and 43 injured in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Tangdhar regions after Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling and arbitrary firing along the LoC and the International Border after India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’.

7 - Foreign secretary Vikram Misri briefed diplomats from 13 United Nations Security Council (UNSC) member countries, stating that the response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was "targeted, measured, and non-escalatory."

8 - National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke with NSAs of several countries, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UK NSA Jonathan Powell, Saudi NSA Musaid Al Aiban, UAE NSA Sheikh Tahnoon, Secretary General of NSC of UAE Ali Al Shamsi and NSA of Japan Masataka Okano. Apart from this, contact was also established with Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC Wang Yi and Diplomatic Adviser to French President Emmanuel Bonne.

Doval briefed his counterparts on Operation Sindoor, actions taken and method of execution, which was measured, non-escalatory and restrained. He said that New Delhi has no intent to escalate tensions but is prepared to “retaliate resolutely” if Islamabad does so.

9 - National Investigation Agency (NIA) appealed to all tourists, visitors & people who have any more information, photos or videos related to the Pahalgam attack, to immediately contact the agency. An NIA officer will contact such person if there is any query regarding the content shared. Such contributions could be crucial in identifying the perpetrators and understanding their methods.

10 - Defence minister Rajnath Singh praised the Indian military for conducting Operation Sindoor and claimed that they had followed the ideology of Lord Hanuman and only killed those who were responsible for the death of innocent people. Rajnath Singh said that through Operation Sindoor, India has used its ‘Right to Respond’ to the attack on its soil.

Between the lines: This was not Balakot 2.0 - it’s a new doctrine

While both Balakot and Sindoor were retaliatory anti-terror operations, Balakot (2019) targeted a single JeM training camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Sindoor (2025) targeted multiple, geographically dispersed terror sites, including deep inside Pakistan’s Punjab.