We Hit Their Spine: Women officers reveal precision and power behind Operation Sindoor

In a decisive counter-terrorism operation named Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces targeted and destroyed nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the early hours of Wednesday. The airstrikes were launched in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22.

The operation, which lasted 25 minutes between 1:05 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., was based on precise intelligence and aimed at dismantling terror launchpads, training centres and indoctrination hubs across the border. Details of the strikes were shared in a joint press briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Indian Army Colonel Sofia Qureshi, and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.

The briefing opened with visuals of past Pakistan-backed terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament assault, 2008 Mumbai attacks, Uri, Pulwama, and the recent Pahalgam strike, underlining the long-standing threat posed by terror networks operating from Pakistani soil.

Foreign Secretary Misri stated that the Pahalgam attack was designed not just to disrupt peace in the Valley but also to incite communal unrest. He described Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists and stressed that the Indian response was “measured, responsible, and non-provocative.”

Colonel Qureshi said the operation specifically targeted nine key locations, many of which have served as training and operational bases for terror outfits over decades. “In the last thirty years, Pakistan has nurtured a full-scale terror industry. It is now being dismantled,” she said.

Wing Commander Singh highlighted that Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muzaffarabad, the Barnala camp, and the Mahmoona camp in Sialkot were among the major sites destroyed. “This strike has broken the spine of their terror network,” she said, reiterating India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.

The bombed locations included:

In PoK:

• Sawai Nala (Lashkar-e-Taiba’s training centre near LoC)
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• Syedna Bilal (Jaish-e-Mohammed camp, Muzaffarabad)
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• Kotli Gulpur (Lashkar base tied to Rajouri-Poonch attacks)
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• Barnala, Bimber (IED and arms storage, 9 km from LoC)
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• Kotli Abbas (Fidayeen training site, 13 km from LoC)

In Pakistan:

• Sarjal, Sialkot (Tied to March 2025 attack on J&K police)
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• Bahawalpur (Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters and recruitment hub)
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• Mehmoona Joya, Sialkot (Hizbul Mujahideen training centre)
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• Markaz Taiba, Muridke (26/11 training base)

The action was presented as a clear message that any future attack on Indian soil would be met with swift and calculated retaliation.