Operation Sindoor: SCALP Missiles, HAMMER Bombs — How India Hit Terror Camps In Pakistan & PoK

India carried out coordinated air strikes in the early hours of Wednesday, May 7, targeting terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), officials confirmed. The air strikes, under Operation Sindoor, marked the country’s largest cross-border assault since the 2019 Balakot air strikes.

The offensive was launched in retaliation to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead. Intelligence assessments linked the deadly assault to militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terror outfit reportedly benefiting from state support.

The Indian military deployed a combination of sophisticated, long-range munitions during the operation. According to an NDTV report, three key weapons—the SCALP cruise missile, the HAMMER guided bomb, and loitering munitions—were central to the mission's success.

• SCALP: The SCALP, also known internationally as the Storm Shadow, is a stealthy, air-launched cruise missile capable of hitting targets over 250 kilometres away. It was employed to neutralise high-value, deeply embedded enemy positions.

• HAMMER: Meanwhile, the HAMMER bomb — short for Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range — was reportedly used for striking reinforced structures. According to a defence official, the HAMMER is a precision-guided, standoff munition capable of striking targets at ranges of 50-70 kilometres.

• Loitering Munitions: Completing the arsenal were loitering munitions, sometimes referred to as “kamikaze drones”. These systems hovered over target zones, allowing for real-time surveillance and precision strikes on identified threats.

Nine terror-linked facilities were struck during the Operation Sindoor, including five inside PoK and four within Pakistan’s territorial borders. Defence ministry representatives emphasised that no Pakistani military bases were involved, and that the attacks were limited solely to known terrorist operational hubs.

Among the locations targeted was Markaz Taiba in Muridke, described as a heavily fortified Lashkar-e-Taiba compound sprawling across 200 acres. This facility has long served as a nerve centre for indoctrination and logistical coordination.

In Bahawalpur, air strikes levelled parts of Markaz Subhan Allah, widely acknowledged as the ideological and training headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Another blow was dealt at Markaz Abbas in Kotli, believed to function as a suicide bomber training hub.

More strikes were carried out on facilities in Muzaffarabad, including the Syedna Bilal and Shawai Nalla camps, which have reportedly been used to prepare sleeper cells for infiltration across the Line of Control. In Barnala, the Markaz Ahle Hadith served as a regional logistics node supporting LeT operatives and was also struck.

Elsewhere, JeM’s Sarjal camp in Tehra Kalan, used to prepare new recruits prior to infiltration, was hit. In Sialkot, an airstrike targeted Mehmoona Joya, described as a lesser-known Hizbul Mujahideen training ground.