ISLAMABAD – In the early hours of Wednesday morning, India launched a wave of missile attacks on Pakistani soil, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens. The operation, code-named “Operation Sindoor” by the Indian military, marks a dramatic escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbors with a long history of conflict over Kashmir.
The attacks struck six locations — four in Punjab and two in Pakistan-administered Kashmir — and targeted civilian areas, including mosques and residential compounds. Among the dead was a three-year-old girl, and among the wounded were women and children.
So, what led to this high-risk move by New Delhi? Here’s everything we know.
The Trigger: Pahalgam Massacre in Indian-Administered Kashmir
India’s justification for the missile strikes stems from the April 22 attack in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir. In that brutal incident, 26 people were killed, including 25 Hindu tourists and a local pony handler.
According to Indian officials, the attackers separated men from women and targeted non-Muslim males, a chilling detail that has inflamed communal and nationalist sentiments across India.
New Delhi quickly pointed fingers at The Resistance Front (TRF), an armed group it alleges is backed by Pakistan. Islamabad, however, strongly denied any involvement, condemned the killings, and demanded an independent international investigation.
Despite the lack of evidence presented publicly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed retaliation, claiming his government would chase down the perpetrators “to the ends of the earth.”
Why “Operation Sindoor”?
The codename “Operation Sindoor” is laden with symbolic meaning. Sindoor is a red powder traditionally worn by Hindu married women on their foreheads. Its absence signifies widowhood. The name is seen as a reference to the Hindu women whose husbands were allegedly killed in the Pahalgam attack.
Critics have called the naming divisive and provocative, suggesting it inflames religious tensions and further politicizes a deeply sensitive tragedy.
India’s Missile Strikes: What We Know
India fired a series of missiles from within its own airspace, striking:
- Ahmedpur Sharqia (Bahawalpur): Mosque compound hit, killing five, including a toddler
- Muridke, Sialkot outskirts, and Shakar Garh: Civilian infrastructure damaged
- Muzaffarabad and Kotli (Azad Kashmir): Two mosques destroyed, additional casualties reported
Pakistani military officials confirmed eight deaths and 35 injuries, prompting Punjab province to declare a state of emergency, with hospitals and schools closed, and security forces on high alert.
Pakistan’s Response: Defiant and Immediate
In retaliation, Pakistan scrambled its fighter jets and engaged in air defence operations. Officials claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft — a claim India has not yet responded to.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that a “firm and proportionate reply” was underway. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reiterated Pakistan’s right to self-defence on international platforms.
Pakistan maintains that the Indian missiles were all launched from Indian territory, and if any aircraft were shot down, it happened inside Indian airspace.
The Broader Fallout: Kashmir Once Again at the Centre
The missile attacks mark the first time since the 1971 war that India has struck targets inside Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. The move has plunged already-tense diplomatic relations to a new low.
In response:
- India suspended participation in the Indus Waters Treaty
- Pakistan threatened to exit the Simla Agreement
- Both sides expelled diplomats and closed their airspace
- Indian-administered Kashmir saw over 2,000 arrests, home demolitions, and mass detentions under terrorism laws
The Risk of a Larger Conflict
The current situation mirrors previous flashpoints, such as the 2019 Pulwama-Balakot episode and the 2016 Uri attack. However, the scale and intensity of the current escalation — including the symbolic framing of “Operation Sindoor” — suggest a deeper, more ideologically driven response from India.
With no formal communication lines open and both countries maintaining combat readiness, the risk of further escalation is dangerously real.
