It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who picked the evocative term 'Operation Sindoor' to codename the Indian armed forces' strikes on nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, official sources said on Wednesday.
Official confirmation from the government is still awaited, and more details are expected soon.
Days before the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, intelligence agencies had flagged the potential targeting of tourists especially those staying in hotels on the outskirts of Srinagar in the foothills of the Zabarwan range, officials in the know said Saturday.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, urging that those responsible be held accountable and brought to justice. The Council issued a press statement expressing its deepest sympathy to the victims' families and calling for all states to cooperate in combating terrorism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed concern about the situation, urging India and Pakistan to exercise restraint.
A flight carrying an Indian MP delegation to Moscow, led by DMK leader Kanimozhi, had to circle in the sky for a period of time due to a drone attack, but the aircraft later landed safely. The delegation, deputed by the Centre as part of an international outreach post Operation Sindoor, landed in Moscow on Thursday night on the first leg of a five-nation tour to sensitise the international community on Pakistan-sponsored cross border terrorism.
The Congress party also called for a special session of Parliament to evaluate the situation in detail, to identify any mistakes that were made, and to ensure that they are not repeated in the future.
Pakistan's ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, has warned that Pakistan will respond with "full spectrum of force", including nuclear, if it is attacked or its vital water flow is disrupted. The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Jamali also reiterated Pakistan's stance on the Indus Water Treaty, saying any attempt to stop or divert water flow would be considered an act of war. He urged de-escalation, emphasizing the potential danger given both countries possess nuclear weapons. Jamali further called for a neutral investigation into the Kashmir attack, suggesting the involvement of China and Russia. He also highlighted the need to address the root causes of the conflict, pointing to the unresolved Kashmir issue and its potential for resentment.
India's measures announced against Pakistan on April 23 will remain effective, the sources said.
Asserting that India will not tolerate any 'nuclear blackmail', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said operations against Pakistan have only been kept in abeyance and the future will depend on their behaviour.
Two more persons have been apprehended in Assam for "sympathising with Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests to 58 so far in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
'Innocent lives lost. Tourists, families, people who were just... living. Seeking beauty. Seeking peace. And now there's only grief.'
This marked the sixth consecutive night of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC, amidst heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad following a recent terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
India is at war with terrorists and will bring justice to victims of the Pahalgam attack by holding the perpetrators accountable, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra has said. He underscored that India launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7, striking terror factories at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Kwatra also criticized Pakistan for its continued support of terrorism and said that the world should be concerned about this.
A search operation by a joint team of security forces is underway to track down three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in a forested area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said on Friday.
India's strikes on Pakistan damaged runways and structures across at least six airfields, according to a visual analysis by The Washington Post, which experts said were the most significant attacks of their kind in decades of simmering conflict between the two nations.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted that India's ballistic missiles hit Nur Khan Airbase and other sites on May 10, a rare acknowledgement that contradicts Pakistan's usual stance of denial when it comes to Indian military action.
Former Indian Army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury (Retd) has blamed "intelligence failure" for the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. He demanded accountability at the highest levels, stating that there must be someone responsible for the negligence and they must be held accountable for the consequences.
India stressed that it is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, that too in a democracy.
Once identified, these individuals are drawn into private groups where they are exposed to manipulative content, including fabricated videos depicting atrocities allegedly committed by security forces, the officials said.
Amid violence against Hindi-speaking people, Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashish Shelar on Sunday drew parallels between the Pahalgam terror attack and the beating of 'Hindus' in Mumbai, which he said is condoned by some leaders.
The exchange of fire occurred even though the directors general of military operations of India and Pakistan spoke over the hotline on Tuesday amid rising tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
'It is high time that the 'war on terror' is removed from our diplomatic toolbox.' 'Certainly, our parliamentarians have no role in it,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Right now, we have no relationship with Pakistan. And the relationship with China is not great.'
In an interaction with naval warriors on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off Goa, Singh sent a stern warning to Islamabad saying India will not hesitate to use the methods to deal with terrorism that Pakistan cannot even think of.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will continue as scheduled despite escalating tensions with India.
Indian cricketers - both past and present - have voiced strong support for the armed forces following a daring cross-border strike
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi asserted that Operation Sindoor was unlike any conventional mission and that it was akin to playing a game of chess as 'we did not know' what would be the enemy's next move.
A former Pentagon official, Michael Rubin has said that India targeted terror infrastructure with precision, and it was able to blunt Pakistan's response following the recent strikes.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that an invitation has been extended to chiefs of all three Armed forces, top-ranked officers and soldiers for the IPL 2025 final on June 3.
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan was among the issues figured during a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, according to a Kremlin aide.
India's trade relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan are expected to come under strain due to Ankara and Baku backing Islamabad and condemning India's recent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. Following their support to Pakistan, calls for boycotting Turkish goods and tourism have surfaced across the country, with online travel platforms such as EaseMyTrip and Ixigo issuing advisories against visiting these nations.
'A terrorist has no religion -- they are nothing but the face of evil. When you offer namaz for a terrorist, attend their funeral, or give them a grave, you affirm that they belong to a religion. That must stop'
Mrs Gandhi's power ebbed and peaked with the times. Mr Modi's has almost been constant, barring the few months of hard dip after the 240 seats of 2024, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Pakistan has decided to extend the closure of its airspace for Indian flights by another month, a media report said on Wednesday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday questioned the safety of nuclear weapons in the hands of Pakistan, and said they should be taken under monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
President Droupadi Murmu's address to the nation on the eve of the 79th Independence Day.
Hundreds of residents along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir were evacuated to safer zones after Pakistani shelling following Indian airstrikes on terror targets in Pakistan. The shelling killed 12 people, including four children and two women, and injured over 50. The evacuations come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. The government has provided temporary shelter for those evacuated.
Arathy, daughter of N Ramachandran who was killed in a terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, welcomed the Indian Army's "Operation Sindoor" and said it was a reply from the women of India. She said the loss cannot be compensated, but the operation is a kind of relief from the government and the army. Arathy's father was killed by terrorists in front of her while holidaying in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.
'Pakistan is economically very weak and will not be able to sustain a war for long.'
'...and the country should be impoverished completely.' 'Once this is done, the political class would take over and then play a part in real democracy where the army is under the control of the government, not vice-versa.'
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