The Indian Army targeted terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan in precision strikes carried out post midnight, according to a statement issued in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The 'Operation Sindoor', as the strikes were described in the official statement, is in response to the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
The Indian forces targeted a total of nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and PoK, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said on social media platform X.
"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," the defence ministry added.
India has launched #OperationSindoor, a precise and restrained response to the barbaric #PahalgamTerrorAttack that claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali citizen. Focused strikes were carried out on nine #terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and…
Shortly after the precision strikes were carried out, the Indian Army reported that Pakistan resorted to violation of ceasefire along the border in Jammu.
"Pakistan again violates the Ceasefire Agreement by firing Artillery in Bhimber Gali in Poonch- Rajauri area. Indian Army is responding appropriately in a caliberated manner," Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army posted on X.
Also, all air defence units have been activated all along the India-Pakistan border to tackle any eventuality, news agency ANI reported, citing defence officials.
The ADGPI also posted a video, stating: "Ready to strike, trained to win."
"प्रहाराय सन्निहिताः, जयाय प्रशिक्षिताः"
Ready to Strike, Trained to Win.#IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/M9CA9dv1XxDefence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Ashwini Vaishnaw, took to social media to laud the Indian forces for the action against the terrorist infrastructure bases across the border.
Opposition leaders, including Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Tejashwi Yadav and Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi, also tweeted in support of the forces.
Among world leaders, US President Donald Trump was among the first to react to India's military action. "We just heard about it as we were walking through the doors of the Oval... They've been fighting for a long time... I just hope it ends very quickly," he said in a media briefing.
.@POTUS reacts to India's airstrikes into Pakistan: "We just heard about it as we were walking through the doors of the Oval... They've been fighting for a long time... I just hope it ends very quickly." pic.twitter.com/HfrKm49tP8
Pakistan Army's media arm, the Inter-Services Public Relations, said that strikes were carried out by India in Bahwalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad. The ISPR added that it would "respond" against the Indian strikes, the local media reported.
Amid the escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, the United Nations has called for restraint. "The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
The development is also expected to have an impact on the equities market on Wednesday, with NSE Nifty 50 futures declining 1.19% at the GIFT City financial centre.
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