Operation Sindoor: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh explain why India carried out strikes on terror sites in Pakistan

The Indian Armed Forces on Wednesday, provided detailed insights into Operation Sindoor, a precision strike operation launched to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack. Addressing a press briefing in the national capital hours after the targeted strikes by India, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh outlined the objectives of the operation. 

A total of nine terror sites in Pakistan including five in PoK linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were targetted with meticulous planning to avoid civilian casualties.Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, addressing the briefing, detailed the specific terror camps targeted in PoK. "Shawai Nallah Camp in Muzaffarabad is a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp. Terrorists responsible for attacks in Sonamarg on October 20, 2024, Gulmarg on October 24, 2024, and Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, were trained here," she said. 

She further highlighted the Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad, a Jaish-e-Mohammed staging area serving as a "weapon, explosive, and jungle training centre". Qureshi also stated that the intelligence has identified Gulpur Camp in Kotli, 30 km from the Line of Control (LoC), as an LeT facility linked to the April 20, 2023, Poonch attack and the June 9, 2024, pilgrimage bus attack. 

Additionally, Barnala Camp in Bhimber was noted as a centre for weapons, IEDs, and jungle survival training, while another Kotli camp, 13 km from the LoC, trained LeT's fedayeen with a capacity for 15 terrorists.

"Gulpur Camp, Kotli, is 30 km away from LoC and was a camp of LeT... Terrorists for the April 20, 2023, and June 9, 2024, pilgrimage bus attacks were trained from here. Barnala Camp, Bhimber, was also a centre for weapons, IEDs and Jungle surviral training. Kotli, it is 13 km away from the LoC. LeT's fedayeen used to be trained here with a capacity for 15 terrorists," she added.

Meanwhile, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh elaborated on the operation's strategic intent, stating, "'Operation Sindoor' was a retaliation to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 to serve justice to the innocent victims and their families. Nine terror camps were targeted and destroyed." She revealed that Pakistan has maintained a complex terror infrastructure for three decades, comprising 21 recruitment, indoctrination, and launch pad centres across Pakistan and PoK.

"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," Singh added, underscoring the operation's precision. The strikes, executed between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on Wednesday, involved a coordinated effort by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, targeting key facilities like the JeM and LeT bases in Pakistan as well as PoK. 

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)