India Launches ‘Operation Sindoor’ Amid Cross-Border Clashes with Pakistan

India has launched “Operation Sindoor,” a significant military operation targeting nine locations within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This move followed a deadly attack on Indian tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, which India has blamed on Pakistan. The Indian government stated that the objective of the operation was to strike terrorist infrastructure in these regions, believed to be responsible for orchestrating attacks against India. According to India’s official statement, the military action was designed to be "focused, measured, and non-escalatory," and explicitly avoided targeting Pakistani military installations. The operation was aimed at specific sites from where terrorist activities were allegedly being directed toward India.

The missile strikes impacted areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province. Notably, the cities of Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir were confirmed among the locations hit by Indian missiles, according to a report by Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder from Islamabad. The aftermath of the strikes led to a significant escalation of tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Pakistan responded swiftly, announcing retaliatory military action against Indian targets. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that at least five Indian aircraft had been shot down and several Indian soldiers taken as prisoners. While the details of Pakistan’s military response remain partially undisclosed, reports indicate that heavy shelling has resumed along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

Casualty figures from both sides underscore the intensity of the conflict. Pakistan reported that at least 26 of its citizens had been killed and 46 others injured due to Indian missile strikes and border firing. On the Indian side, at least eight individuals were reported dead as a result of retaliatory shelling by Pakistan. These developments have deepened already strained relations between the two neighbors.

A Pakistani military spokesperson told the broadcaster Geo that five locations were struck by Indian forces, including two mosques. In one notable incident, a missile hit a mosque in Bahawalpur, Punjab, resulting in the death of a child and injuring two civilians. These civilian casualties have added to the outcry and urgency in both countries regarding the conflict's escalation.

Pakistan emphasized that it had warned of a strong response to any Indian aggression, and the current military action is part of that promised retaliation. The ongoing exchange of fire along the LoC and the damage to both military and civilian infrastructure indicate that the situation remains volatile, with the risk of further escalation looming large.

This operation and the subsequent counteroffensive represent one of the most serious military escalations between India and Pakistan in recent years. As both countries remain on high alert, the international community is likely to call for restraint to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control. The current hostilities underscore the fragile nature of peace in the region and highlight the urgent need for diplomatic engagement to de-escalate tensions.