25 minutes, 9 terror camps, at least 70 terrorists: How Indian Army executed Operation Sindoor

NEW DELHI: The Indian armed forces on Wednesday executed a meticulously planned retaliatory strike, codenamed 'Operation Sindoor', dismantling nine terrorist camps nestled within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The operation, carried out in a rapid 25-minute window between 1.05 am and 1.30 am today, targeted key infrastructure belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Details of the operation were unveiled in a press briefing held in the national capital this afternoon, where foreign secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh addressed the nation.

Operation Sindoor: What the government said

Foreign secretary asserted that the 'barbaric' Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives aimed to "undermine normalcy returning to Kashmir," making a firm response imperative.

Vikram Misri said that Indian intelligence agencies had been monitoring terrorist activities and raised concerns regarding more terrorist attacks in India.

"Our intelligence indicated that further attacks against India are impending. Thus, compulsion, both to deter and prevent and hence earlier this morning, India exercised its right to respond to deter such more cross-border terrorism... Our actions were measured and non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. They focused on dismantling terrorists' infrastructure," he said.

Operation Sindoor: What happened on May 7 from 1:05am-1:30am

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi provided a detailed breakdown of the targeted sites, presenting visual evidence of their destruction. The nine terror camps targeted were:

• Shawai Nallah Camp, Muzaffarabad (PoK): An LeT training facility linked to attacks in Sonamarg, Gulmarg in 2024, and the recent Pahalgam attack.
• Muridke (Pakistan): A notorious camp where perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, David Headley and Ajmal Kasab, received training.
• Sarjal camp, Sialkot (Pakistan): Located 6 km inside Pakistan, this LeT camp trained terrorists involved in the killing of four J&K police personnel.
• Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala (Bhimber, PoK): A crucial hub for weapons, IED, and jungle survival training.
• Markaz Abbas, Kotli (PoK): Situated 13 km from the LoC, this LeT camp specialized in training 'fidayeen' suicide attackers.
• Mehmoona Joya camp, Sialkot (Pakistan): A major Hizbul Mujahideen camp and a key control center for terrorism in the Kathua-Jammu region, also implicated in the Pathankot air force base attack.
• Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur (Pakistan): The headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammed.
• Syedna Bilal camp, Muzaffarabad (PoK): A JeM staging area serving as a weapons depot, explosives storage, and jungle training center.
• Maskar Raheel Shahid Gulpur Camp, Kotli (PoK): Located 30 km from the LoC, this LeT camp was linked to the Poonch attack in 2023 and the pilgrimage bus attack in 2024.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh emphasised the strategic rationale behind 'Operation Sindoor'. "Nine terror camps were targeted and destroyed" in direct retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, she stated. She further highlighted the extensive terror infrastructure maintained by Pakistan for three decades, comprising 21 recruitment and launch pad centers.

"The targets for Operation Sindoor were based on credible intelligence inputs and locations that were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives," Wing Commander Singh affirmed.

The armed forces employed an array of weaponry, including SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER precision-guided bombs, and advanced loitering munitions.