New Delhi, May 7
Hours after the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine high-value terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), India delivered a powerful message of zero tolerance to cross-border terrorism, stating emphatically -- "No more."
The operation was carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 25 Indian tourists and a local Kashmiri pony ride operator were killed.
As Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh took the stage alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to brief the media, a gut-wrenching video played in the background -- chronicling over two decades of brutal terrorist attacks on Indian soil.
The video included visuals from the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack in Gujarat, the 2008 Mumbai carnage, and more recent attacks in Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam.
A closing message in the video stated: "More than 350 Indian civilians have succumbed to cross-border terrorism in the past decade, and 800 injured in these dastardly acts of violence. Over 600 security personnel have laid down their lives, and more than 1,400 injured while protecting the nation from this scourge of cross-border terrorism."
The video ended with two stark words: "No More" -- followed by "Operation Sindoor."
According to government sources, 70 terrorists, including senior and mid-level commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, were eliminated as India conducted 24 missile strikes across nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and PoK.
These included camps, safehouses, and logistical facilities used to plot attacks against India.
"It was a statement of strategic resolve," a senior source said.
"Through 24 precisely coordinated missile strikes across nine terrorist-linked locations, India demonstrated that it would no longer tolerate cross-border terrorism, nor the complicity of state institutions that enable it."
The strikes were described as swift and clinically executed. All missiles had struck their intended targets within an hour, with UAVs providing real-time confirmation. The coordination and timing were designed to maintain surprise and limit exposure.
"This was a significant evolution in strategic posture -- a departure from previous doctrinal limits," the source added.
India stressed that the operation was a calibrated military action, not an act of escalation.
"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution," the government said.
Foreign Secretary Misri underlined that India's objective was to dismantle terror infrastructure without endangering civilians or provoking wider conflict.
"Operation Sindoor was a proportionate and responsible response to Pakistan's ongoing support for terrorism," he said.
He added that in the days since the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan had only issued denials and accusations instead of acting against the perpetrators.
The operation was a coordinated tri-service effort by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It began at 1:44 a.m., with Prime Minister Narendra Modi monitoring the mission through the night in close contact with senior commanders and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
"This government has kept its promise -- those responsible will be held accountable," India said in a statement, reinforcing the message that acts of terror against its citizens will no longer go unanswered.
- IANS