Airborne and Alert: Pakistan Vows Response After Indian Missile Blitz

In a dramatic overnight development, India launched “Operation Sindoor”, a series of precision missile strikes targeting alleged terror infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead.

The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that nine terror camps linked to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were hit in a "focused, measured, and non-escalatory" operation. The strikes, which took place shortly after midnight, were India’s sharp rebuttal to what it called the "barbaric" assault on Pahalgam, which included the death of a Nepali national.

Soon after, loud explosions rocked Muzaffarabad, leading to a citywide blackout, as reported by Reuters. Islamabad admitted Indian jets targeted Subhanullah mosque in Bahawalpur's Ahmed East, along with locations in Kotli and Muzaffarabad.

Pakistan’s military response was swift and defiant. In a press briefing, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the strikes and warned, "All of our air force jets are airborne... Pakistan will respond to this attack at a time and place of its choosing."

Despite the heightened rhetoric, the Indian government emphasized restraint, stating no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. The Ministry maintained that the mission was aimed solely at terror hubs responsible for orchestrating attacks on Indian soil.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army posted a cryptic but powerful message on social media platform X: “Justice is served. Jai Hind!” An earlier post had read: “Ready to strike, trained to win.”

Tensions have been steadily rising between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with India holding Pakistan squarely responsible for sheltering terrorist networks. Islamabad, however, has denied any role in the Pahalgam attack and offered to join a “credible international probe.”

A full briefing by Indian defence officials is expected soon. As the situation unfolds, the region braces for further diplomatic and military escalations.

Also Read: PM Modi Monitored ‘Operation Sindoor’ Live as Indian Forces Strike Key Terror Camps in Pakistan