Nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir were destroyed.
New Delhi:
Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the opposition on Operation Sindoor, the military reply to Pahalgam. In an early morning strike Wednesday the armed forces hit terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir.
Here are the top points:
- The opposition will support the government in its efforts to combat cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said Thursday afternoon following an all-party briefing by the Defence Minister and Home Minister on Operation Sindoor.
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the briefing was held in a cordial manner and resulted in a broad political consensus. "All political leaders showed maturity. At a time when the country is facing such a crisis, there is no place for politics. All leaders have unanimously praised the armed forces. Everyone said we will support all of government's actions and of the forces. Nobody had any opposition," he said.
- Mr Singh and Mr Shah briefed the opposition briefed about the targets selected - which included the Lashkar-e-Taiba's HQ and a training camp in Muridke, and the Jaish-e-Mohammed's HQ in Bahawalpur, both in Pak's Punjab province.
- Military action, the opposition was told, was "measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible" and focused on dismantling terrorist infrastructure to deter and pre-empt further attacks. The government has said it has proof the Pak deep state was involved in Pahalgam, just as it was in other attacks on India. Islamabad has denied these charges.
- Four targets were struck in Pak and five in PoK. Among the camps destroyed was one that trained David Headley and Ajmal Kasab, the terrorists behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Others included launchpads for attacks on civilians in J&K in 2023 and 2024.
- Jaish chief Masood Azhar, whose group killed 40 Indian soldiers in J&K's Pulwama in 2019 and 19 in an attack on an Army base near Uri in 2016, said he lost 10 family members in the strikes. "Ten members of my family were blessed with this happiness..."
- The opposition was told about India's military readiness in case of retaliatory action by Pakistan. Mr Singh's assurances the country is prepared for any hostile action had been stressed Thursday evening by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who told reporters the armed forces are "fully prepared to respond to a Pakistani misadventure, if any..."
- Opposition leaders had expressed strong support after the success of Operation Sindoor. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, praised the military's courage and said on X, "Proud of our Armed Forces. Jai Hind!"
- Hours before the briefing 12 civilians and a soldier were killed in Jammu and Kashmir amid cross-border firing and shelling by Pakistan for a 14th consecutive day. The shelling - which began a day after Pahalgam - hit Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor.
- Meanwhile, security drills were held Wednesday evening to prep civilians, civilian defence volunteers, and first-responders like paramedics and firefighters on responding to emergencies during hostile military action. For the first time since the 1971 war with Pak, air raid sirens rang out and there were blackout and evacuation drills nationwide.
- Tensions between India and Pakistan, never friendly at the best of times, have plummeted entirely since Pahalgam. Pak has reacted sharply to non-military punitive measures, which included suspending the Indus Waters Treaty that supplies nearly 80 per cent of its farms. Islamabad called the suspension of the IWT "an act of war".
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
