India has launched “Operation Sindoor,” a military operation targeting what it describes as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes, which occurred on May 6, 2025, have significantly escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Multiple Locations Hit Across Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir
According to military sources, India targeted nine sites during Operation Sindoor. The strikes hit several key locations:
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Muzaffarabad: The administrative capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where multiple explosions were heard and a power blackout was reported
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Kotli: Another city in Pakistan-administered Kashmir that was struck during the operation
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Ahmadpur East: Located in Pakistan’s Punjab province
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Bagh: In Pakistan-administered Kashmir
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Muridke: In Punjab province of Pakistan
Pakistani military sources confirmed that five locations were hit in total, with three in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Bagh) and two in Punjab province (Ahmadpur East and Muridke).
Casualties and Damage
Pakistan has reported that the strikes resulted in at least three civilian deaths, including a child, and approximately 12 injuries. Pakistani officials claim that two mosques were among the targets, contradicting India’s assertion that only terrorist infrastructure was targeted.
India maintains that its operations were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory” and that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. Indian defense officials stated that the strikes killed 12 terrorists and injured 55 others, though these claims cannot be independently verified.
Escalating Tensions
This military action comes in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. India has accused Pakistan of supporting The Resistance Front, described as an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan has vowed to retaliate, with military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stating, “The response from Pakistan will occur at a time and location of our choosing. This despicable provocation will not be overlooked.”
As both nations maintain heightened military readiness, international observers continue to call for restraint to prevent further escalation in this volatile situation.
