INDIA PAKISTAN WAR(Pahalgam terror attack & operation sindoor)

INDIA PAKISTAN WAR

  Twenty-six men were killed and 17 were injured when suspected militants opened fire at tourists in India's Jammu and Kashmir territory, police said on Wednesday, the worst such attack in the country in nearly two decades.

The attack took place on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley in the Pahalgam area of the scenic, Himalayan federal territory and the dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.

The attack is seen as a setback to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have projected as a major achievement in revoking the semi-autonomous status Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed and bringing peace and development to the long-troubled Muslim-majority region.

Modi cut short his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday morning. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was also cutting short her visit to the United States and Peru "to be with our people in this difficult and tragic time", her ministry said.

Modi held a meeting with the national security adviser, the foreign minister and other senior officials at the airport and a special security cabinet meeting had been called for 1230 GMT, a defence ministry official said.

A little-known militant group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It expressed discontent that more than 85,000 "outsiders" had been settled in the region, spurring a "demographic change".

In a fresh statement on Wednesday, the group said that the "individuals targeted were not ordinary tourists; instead, they were linked to and affiliated with Indian security agencies".

"It was not a typical tourist group but rather an undercover agency tasked with research," it said and added that the attack should "serve as a wake-up call not only for Delhi but also for those who support Delhi’s questionable strategies".

"Resistance fighters plan to intensify their strategic attacks to ensure that those involved in undermining ... (the) resistance struggle face appropriate consequences," it warned.

Hundreds of security forces rushed to the Pahalgam area soon after the attack and a massive combing operation was launched in the forests there, two security sources told Reuters. About 100 people suspected to have been militant sympathisers in the past were called to police stations and questioned, they added.

Police also released sketches of three of the four suspected

attackers.

The attackers were dressed in traditional long shirts and loose trousers and one of them was wearing a bodycam, one security source said, adding that there were about 1,000 tourists and about 300 local service providers and workers when the attack took place.

They opened fire at three spots in Baisaran valley which is popular among tourists for its lush meadows and pristine landscape surrounded by dense pine forests on all sides.

Visitors have to trek or hire ponies to reach the spot where there are adventure sports facilities such as ziplining and zorbing.

Indian security agencies say Kashmir Resistance is a front for Pakistan-based militant organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. Pakistan has said it only provides moral and diplomatic support to the insurgency in Kashmir.

"We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives," Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement. "We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery."

KASHMIR SHUTDOWN

On Wednesday, over a dozen local organisations called for a shutdown in the federal territory to protest against the attack on tourists, whose rising numbers have helped the local economy.

Many schools also suspended classes for the day in protest.

The shutdown was total and protest marches were taken out in parts of the Kashmir Valley, with people shouting slogans such as "Stop killing innocents", "Tourists are our lives", "It is an attack on us".

"I want to say to the people of the country that we are ashamed, Kashmir is ashamed," former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a statement. "We are standing with you in this time of crisis."

Airlines were operating extra flights from Srinagar, the summer capital of the territory, as visitors were rushing out of the region, officials said.

"It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests," serving Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on X, adding that the main highway connecting Srinagar to the rest of the country which was damaged by heavy rain had been opened for one-way traffic out of Srinagar to help tourists leaving by road.

Television visuals showed tourists carrying their bags to taxis and filing out of a hotel in Srinagar.

"How can we continue our trip in such a situation?" Sameer Bhardwaj, a tourist from New Delhi, told news agency ANI. "We need to prioritise our safety."

Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu's office said four special flights from Srinagar - two to Delhi and two to Mumbai - have been arranged, with additional flights kept on standby.

The aviation regulator said there was an "unexpected demand" from tourists wanting to return from Kashmir and asked airlines to consider waiving cancellation and rescheduling fees.

While some local tourist operators said they were already getting cancellations for the upcoming peak summer season, the local unit of the Travel Agents Federation of India condemned the attack.

"We will continue to encourage travel to the Valley and stand strong against those who seek to spread fear and unrest," local unit chairman Shamim Shah said in a statement.

As many as 786 Pakistani nationals have left India via the Attari-Wagah border point within six days from April 24, a senior official was cited as saying by news agency ANI.

The officer informed that during the same time, a total of 1376 Indians have returned from Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday expressed strong support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack.

Abdullah said, "We have given our full support to the prime minister. After that, we should not be questioned. The prime minister should do whatever work he necessary."

Asserting India's stand of being non-aggressive, he said, "India has never attacked anyone first. It all started from there (Pakistan), and we responded. Even today, we will not use it (nuclear weapons) unless they do. But if they use it, we have it too. May God never let such a situation arise".

‘Forces free to decide when, how to hit back’

Modi expressed full trust and confidence in the professionalism of the armed forces. “They have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of our response,” government sources quoted Modi as saying.

On Tuesday, PM Modi chaired a meeting with India's top defence officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the heads of the three armed services.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan also participated in the meeting, held as India assessed its response options following the Pahalgam terror attack.

operation sindoor

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, India launched a military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure across pakistan  The operation, codenamed operation sindoor, involved a tri-services deployment of air, naval, and land-based assets. It is the most expansive cross-border precision strike carried out by India since the Balakot operation in 2019.

The mission was a response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, including a serving Indian Navy officer and a Nepali national, were killed. The attackers were linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a terror group that has been alleged to get logistical and financial support from the Pakistani government.

Weapons Used In Operation Sindoor

India utilised a suite of high-precision, long-range strike weapons in the operation. Among these were the SCALP cruise missile, the HAMMER precision bomb, and loitering munitions.

SCALP (Storm Shadow): The SCALP missile, also known as Storm Shadow, is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile with a range exceeding 250 kilometres and designed for deep-strike capabilities.

HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range): The HAMMER smart bomb was used to strike hardened infrastructure such as reinforced bunkers and multi-storey buildings used as training and logistical centres by LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The HAMMER is a precision-guided, standoff munition capable of striking targets at ranges of 50-70 kilometres, depending on launch altitude.

Loitering Munitions: Also known as "kamikaze drones," loitering munitions were deployed for surveillance, target acquisition, and terminal strike roles. These drone systems hover over target areas and either autonomously or under remote control identify and eliminate threats. 

Key Targets Identified and Hit

Nine separate sites were struck during Operation Sindoor, four located in mainland Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Ministry of Defence said that no Pakistani military installations were targeted. Instead, all sites were selected based on their verified use as operational centres by banned terrorist groups.

Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur (JeM) - Considered the ideological and operational headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, this location has historically hosted senior cadre training sessions.

Markaz Taiba, Muridke (LeT) - A 200-acre compound used by Lashkar-e-Taiba for indoctrination, logistics, and planning. It was one of the most fortified targets hit in the operation.

Markaz Abbas, Kotli (JeM) - This camp served as a hub for suicide bomber training and weapons distribution for POK-based terrorists.

Syedna Bilal and Shawai Nalla camps, Muzaffarabad (JeM and LeT) - Used as infiltration points and training facilities for sleeper cells.

Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala (LeT) - Functioned as a support facility and regional logistics hub.

Sarjal, Tehra Kalan (JeM) - Used as a pre-infiltration camp for newly recruited terrorists.

Mehmoona Joya, Sialkot (HM) - A lesser-known Hizbul Mujahideen training centre, still active despite the group's declining footprint in the Kashmir Valley.

Sargodha, Kirana Hills, Nuclear Weapons and Missile Strike

In the aftermath of India's recent high-precision airstrikes deep inside Pakistani territory, claims and counterclaims have flooded social media and diplomatic corridors alike. While Pakistani authorities downplay the significance of the Kirna Hills strikes, insisting only "empty hillside" was hit, emerging satellite imagery and military analysis suggest otherwise.

Military experts believe that the Kirna Hills region, which is often dismissed as remote and unimportant, houses an underground nuclear weapons storage complex. Multiple visible entrances and reinforced tunnel structures have been identified in satellite images over the years, supporting long-standing speculation about its strategic value. According to defense analysts, the site was likely hit with multiple bunker-penetrating munitions, indicating a deliberate attempt to cripple or degrade sensitive infrastructure.

In response to widespread disbelief that such a site could be targeted without causing a nuclear catastrophe, analysts have pointed out that nuclear weapons are built with extensive safeguards and cannot detonate from conventional attacks. The United States and the Soviet Union lost dozens of nuclear weapons to accidents during the Cold War. But none of these caused uncontrolled detonations. Any potential radiation leaks, experts say, would likely remain sealed within the mountain’s subterranean layers.

According to a New York Times report, what initially seemed like a routine escalation over cross-border terror eventually sparked serious concern in Washington. The shift occurred when Indian strikes began targeting not just militant infrastructure, but Pakistan’s air bases directly as a result of continued provocation and escalation from across the border. Within minutes, 11 Pakistani airbases, including the strategically important Nur Khan base near Islamabad, were damaged.

Nur Khan’s proximity to Pakistan’s key nuclear command-and-control facilities is what reportedly alarmed U.S. officials. A decapitation strike, or even the perception of one, on Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities would represent an unprecedented escalation and fundamentally alter the strategic balance in the region.

While Islamabad has officially denied any significant losses, the scale and precision of the Indian operation appear to have rattled both Pakistani defense planners and their international allies. With Kirna Hills now in the spotlight, the world is watching closely to see whether South Asia’s fragile nuclear deterrence has entered a dangerous new phase.