Punjab and Rajasthan, which share borders with Pakistan, have gone into full alert mode following India's retaliatory missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Punjab Police has cancelled leaves of all its personnel and shut schools in six border districts, while Rajasthan has also cancelled leaves of administrative officials and police personnel deployed in the border areas and closed schools in four border districts.
The Indian government has blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content as well as false and misleading narratives against India, its Army and security agencies. The decision was taken following recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the April 22 terror attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
Earlier, at 4:39 am, the district collector had also advised residents to keep lights off and avoid going near windows, roads, balconies, or terraces.
The Indian Army today dismissed reports of Pakistan's military build-up along the borders, saying presence of the neighbouring country's troops seemed like routine exercises, but asserted it is always ready to tackle any eventuality.
He went on to say that even though this has not been discussed, he is going to 'increase trade substantially with both of these great Nations.'
Drones were sighted and explosions were heard in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a day after India thwarted attempts by the Pakistan military to attack Indian military installations using drones and missiles. The drones were also engaged in Udhampur and Nagrota of Jammu and Punjab. Heavy cross-border shelling started along the International Border in Suchetgarh and Ramgarh sectors of Jammu and Samba districts. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appealed to residents to stay indoors and ignore rumors.
Pakistan's Olympics gold-winning javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has been blocked in India owing to a "legal request" in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani have pledged their support to the Indian armed forces, who are currently repelling intense shelling, gunfire, and drone attacks from Pakistan. "We are very proud of our Indian Armed Forces for Operation Sindoor. India stands united, fierce in resolve and unshakable in purpose, against the scourge of all forms of terrorism," Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd, said in a statement.
'Unfortunately, India and Pakistan could learn a 'lesson' from this conflict that will make them more likely to use these weapons against each other in the future.' 'Rounds of missile and drone attacks could be more routine features of their hostility, just like artillery fire has become a familiar fact of life along the Line of Control.'
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.
The dastardly dimensions of the attack are gradually sinking in even as the Government of India announced its immediate diplomatic and other retaliatory measures. It is generally expected to be followed up with punitive military action across the LoC, sooner than later, observes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
A total of nine terror sites in Pakistan, including five in Pojk, linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (Jem), were targeted with meticulous planning to avoid civilian casualties.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US Vice President JD Vance on May 9 that Indian response will be "more forceful, stronger, devastating" in response to Pakistani actions, the sources said.
One person was injured on Friday during the Rath Yatra procession in Ahmedabad, when a male elephant, agitated by excessive noise, broke a barricade and rushed into a narrow lane, officials said.
The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh will hold a three-day training camp for its leaders from June 14 in Pachmarhi in Narmadapuram. The move comes amid the party facing flak for some statements from its leaders post Operation Sindoor. BJP president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have been invited to the camp to lecture the party cadre. The BJP said the event was pre-planned and was a routine affair, but the camp is seen as an attempt to discipline party leaders who have been making controversial statements.
For India, it is a symbol of will and a successful feat of arms.
Over 100 terrorists, including high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed, were eliminated during Operation Sindoor on May 7, the Indian military said on Sunday.
It sustained fatal bullet injuries on Monday while attempting to protect the troops from the terrorist assault.
Two terrorists, including a top commander of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, were killed in an ongoing operation in a snow-bound area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. The operation began on Wednesday following a brief encounter and continues. A separate operation to track down three other terrorists has also been underway in Udhampur district since Wednesday.
The Instagram accounts of leading current and former Pakistani cricketers were blocked in India on Friday.
Tharoor said his remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by India's responsible respect for the LoC and the IB.
"Fearless in unity. Boundless in strength. India's shield is her people. There's no room for terrorism in this world. We're ONE TEAM! Jai Hind," Tendulkar posted
The western Rajasthan experienced a complete blackout and sirens were sounded multiple times, particularly in Barmer, to alert residents.
It marked a "milestone" in India's journey towards technological self-reliance in military operations, the ministry said on Operation Sindoor.
It is important for India to pay close attention to both the tone and substance of authoritative remarks coming out of Pakistan, explains former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
A woman was killed and two of her family members injured after Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling in areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army retaliated to the Pakistani aggression. Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC and targeted civilian areas in Uri sector of north Kashmir's Baramulla district, causing damage to structures and forcing people to flee. The injured were rushed to a hospital where a woman, identified as Nargis Begum, succumbed to injuries.
"More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Jammu & Kashmir. These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally," TRF said in a statement which could not be independently verified by Rediff.
'If they aim to remain aligned with the public sentiment, as any democratic government should, then they must respond. Why else would the prime minister have cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia? And why would he have instructed the home minister himself to travel to Srinagar to assess the situation firsthand? This suggests that something is indeed being planned. I am quite certain of that, although the exact form it will take remains to be seen.'
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian national and close associate of David Coleman Headley, is set to be extradited to India from the US. Rana was involved in the planning and execution of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which killed 166 people, including six Americans. He assisted Headley in obtaining a visa for India, established a front company in Mumbai, and helped in reconnaissance of targets in Mumbai and New Delhi. Rana was convicted in the US for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and sentenced to 14 years in prison. His extradition to India will allow authorities to question him about his involvement in the Mumbai attacks and potentially uncover new information about the role of Pakistani state actors.
'They thought nobody would hit Bahawalpur and Muridke because they have nuclear weapons.' 'They used to think India cannot touch our military targets because we are a nuclear weapons country.' 'After Operation Sindoor we have called their bluff.'
A former Bangladesh army officer and close aide of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has suggested that Dhaka should collaborate with China to occupy India's northeastern states if it attacks Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Bangladesh's interim government has distanced itself from the remarks made by Major General (Retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman on his social media account. Rahman's comments come amidst growing tensions between India and Bangladesh following Yunus' remarks in China about India's northeastern states being landlocked and needing Bangladesh's access to the ocean. These incidents have further strained relations between the two countries, with India withdrawing transhipment facilities granted to Bangladesh for exporting goods to the Middle East, Europe, and various other countries.
The western media is going all out to prove that India suffered a major setback in Operation Sindoor and how China helped shoot down Indian fighter jets. One of the articles published in British newspaper Telegraph stated Operation Sindoor shattered the myth of India's air dominance over Pakistan. "The Pakistani Air Force, aided by Chinese targeting satellites and AWACS executed a sensor-fusion kill. The Rafales never got a lock, never even saw their adversary. When the missiles hit, it was already over," wrote the British Newspaper, The Telegraph.
India on Sunday said it inflicted tremendous losses to the Pakistan military, including downing its fighter jets featuring latest technologies and damaging key military installations close to even capital Islamabad, during the three-day confrontation between the two sides.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started interviewing eyewitnesses, including tourists, in connection with the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir. The attack, carried out by terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22. Initial investigations suggest that five to seven terrorists were involved, aided by local militants trained in Pakistan. Security forces are conducting massive operations to hunt down the terrorists in the dense jungles of the Pir Panjal range.
Pakistan was waiting for an opportunity to bring the Jammu and Kashmir issue to the global agenda and resorted to the terrorism route to provoke India, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'Looking at how quickly the hostilities were escalating, the nuclear threshold did not seem that far.'
The reality is that far from being friendless, India is better positioned in the world than at any point post-Cold War, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's supporters reached the heart of Pakistan's capital on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, after removing barricades and battling police in clashes that killed six security personnel and injured dozens.
China appears determined to upgrade Pakistan's military capabilities, sufficient to ensure local parity with India, alerts former foreign secretary Ambassador Shyam Saran.
When the country has been at war, the Opposition has buried its differences with the government, points out Aditi Phadnis.