Pahalgam attack was intended to incite ‘communal discord’ in Kashmir and rest of India: Misri on Operation Sindoor

The Pahalgam terror attack was aimed at inciting ‘communal discord’ in Kashmir and across India, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press briefing on Operation Sindoor.

“The manner of the attack was also driven by an objective of provoking communal discord, both in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the nation. It is to the credit of the government and the people of India that these designs were foiled,” Misri said.

In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to dismantle the infrastructure of terror groups responsible for planning and executing attacks against India.

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In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces launched missile strikes early on Wednesday, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed stronghold in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke.

The strikes were carried out under ‘Operation Sindoor’, two weeks after the attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. The government on Wednesday said that India exercised its right to respond, preempt, and deter more cross-border attacks such as the one in Pahalgam, and asserted that it focused on dismantling the terror infrastructure and disabling terrorists.

The statement was made at a media briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Col. Sofia Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke.

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The defence ministry said in a statement that the operation hit terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where attacks on India have been planned. It added that the operation was “focused, measured and non-escalatory” and did not target Pakistani military facilities.

The strikes were successful, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi closely monitored the operation. Muridke, near Lahore, is the base for Lashkar-e-Taiba, while Bahawalpur is the main stronghold for Jaish-e-Mohammed. Other targets, such as Kotli and Muzaffarabad in PoK, have long hosted camps and training facilities for both groups.

‘Operation Sindoor’ is named after the red vermillion worn by Hindu women to signify their married status. This symbolism reflects the tragedy in Pahalgam, where several husbands, including an Indian Navy officer, were killed in front of their wives.

The attack led to widespread outrage, both in India and internationally. Prime Minister Modi vowed to take strong action against terrorism following the incident.