From first missile to ceasefire call: How Operation Sindor unfolded, one strike at a time

“Not long ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched operation sindorcombating terrorist infrastructure Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement issued at 1:44 am on May 7, 2025.“A total of nine (9) locations were hit,” the statement added, while making it clear that no Pakistani military installations were hit and that the operation was “focused, discreet and non-escalatory.”Today, India marks the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, a swift military response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22, and is still considered a defining moment in the country’s counterterrorism doctrine. The operation, carried out quickly over a 25-minute period between 1:05 and 1:30 a.m. on May 7, targeted terror infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Mujahideen.April 22: Pahalgam attack shocks nationThe series of events began on April 22, 2025, in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam. The place, often referred to as a scenic tourist meadow, turned out to be the site of one of the deadliest terror attacks in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama incident.Terrorists affiliated with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba Proxy Resistance Front (TRF) entered civilian areas, allegedly separated victims on religious grounds and killed 26 people, including a Nepali national. The attack sparked outrage across India and drew condemnation from world leaders.April 23-24: India downgrades ties with PakistanExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal briefed the media on New Delhi’s measures.India downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, sealed the Attari-Wagah border, declared Pakistani diplomats persona non grata and suspended the issuance of visas to Pakistani nationals. India also conducted naval missile tests and large-scale exercises by the Indian Air Force.A day later, at a rally in Madhubani, Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed action, saying: “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and his supporters.” Pakistan retaliated diplomatically by suspending visas to Indians, closing its airspace to Indian-operated aircraft, halting trade and suspending the Shimla Agreement.April 27-30: War clouds gatherOn April 27, Modi addressed the nation from Mankipat and said, “As I address you today from Mankipat, my heart is filled with pain. The terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 has caused pain to every citizen of the country.” On April 30, Pakistan claimed that India was preparing to take military action. Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Talal said that Islamabad had received “reliable intelligence” and that India planned to launch military operations within 24 to 36 hours.

May 7: Operation Sindoor beginsIn the early morning of May 7, India launched “Operation Sindoor” from Indian soil, targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The tri-service operation was carried out within India and targeted nine terrorist camps in Pakistan linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, as well as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Lieutenant Colonel Viomika Singh and Lieutenant Colonel Sofia Qureshi later briefed the media, reiterating that the attack was “concentrated and non-escalated”.Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said “nine terrorist camps were attacked and destroyed” in direct retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. “The objectives of Operation Sindor were based on reliable intelligence inputs and locations selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives,” she added.The operation was carried out quickly within 25 minutes between 1.05 and 1.30am.Lieutenant Colonel Sophia Qureshi later detailed the nine horrific locations that were hit:

Several Indian cities, including Delhi, Chandigarh and Varanasi, have also conducted mock drills to prepare civilians for escalations.Over the next few days, India intercepted Pakistani drones at 36 locations from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi later described the operation as the “new normal” and said India would continue to deal with terrorism “in a language they understand”.May 7-8: Pakistan’s drone offensive and India’s responsePakistan responded with drone strikes and heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), triggering a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.On the night of May 7th and 8th, Pakistan attempted to repeatedly violate India’s western border airspace and launched nearly 300 to 400 drones from 36 locations, targeting military infrastructure. The Indian Army has intercepted and destroyed many drones using kinetic and non-kinetic systems.Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India’s response remained “precise” and “non-escalatory” and stressed that only terrorist infrastructure was targeted. He also condemned Pakistan’s attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 16 civilians.Lt. Col. Sofia Qureshi detailed the scale of Pakistan’s offensive at a media briefing. “On the night of May 7-8, the Pakistani army repeatedly violated Indian airspace across the entire western border with the intention of targeting military infrastructure. Not only that, the Pakistani army also fired large-caliber weapons along the Line of Control,” she said.“About 300 to 400 drones were used in an attempt to infiltrate 36 locations. Indian armed forces shot down many of them using kinetic and non-kinetic means,” she added.Qureshi said the large-scale aerial incursion appeared to be to test India’s air defense network and gather intelligence.“The possible purpose of such a large-scale air incursion is to test air defense systems and gather intelligence. A forensic investigation into the drone’s wreckage is ongoing. Initial reports indicate they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones,” she said.May 9: India escalates retaliationOn May 9, Pakistan launched a large-scale retaliatory strike against Indian military bases. An Indian Air Force drone strike destroyed a Chinese-made HQ-9 surface-to-air missile and radar system in Lahore. Other target locations include Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Attock, Bahawalpur, Miano and areas near Karachi.Earlier in the day, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian air force bases in Avantipura, Srinagar and Utale, as well as Army installations in Jammu, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Chandigarh. India’s multi-layered air defense network, led by the S-400 Triumph missile system, intercepted the attack.Lt. Col. Qureshi said Pakistan “attacks Indian military sites using drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter jets.” “Pakistan tried to infiltrate more than 26 locations through the air and they damaged our equipment and personnel at Udhampur, Bhuj, Pathankot and Bathinda air bases,” she said.“They used high-speed missiles to target air bases in Punjab at 1:40 am. They even attacked health facilities and schools,” she added. She further said that Pakistan attacked Army hospitals in Srinagar, Avantipur and Udhampur.Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) said Pakistan launched “unprovoked firing” on a BSF post in Jammu region. The BSF said: “The terrorist launch pad at Luni in Sialkot district opposite Akhnoor district has been completely destroyed by the BSF. Our resolve to protect India’s sovereignty is unwavering.”May 10: Ceasefire declared, violations followedIndia confirmed that the Directorates General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two countries had reached an understanding to cease all military activities on land, air and sea.Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that Pakistan’s Defense Directorate contacted the Indian Defense Minister at 3:35 pm on May 10, after which both parties agreed to stop all firing and military operations from 5 pm.But just hours later, explosions were heard again in Srinagar and neighboring areas. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted furiously on social media, posting: “What happened to the ceasefire? Explosions are being heard across Srinagar!!! This is not a ceasefire. Air defense units have just opened up in central Srinagar.”Total power outage was imposed in Barmer and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan; Ferozepur, Pathankot, Moga, Fazilka and Patiala in Punjab; Ambala in Haryana; and Jammu, Kathua, Nagrota, Rajouri and Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir.The border states between India and Pakistan have returned to normal. The armed forces caused significant damage to Pakistani military assets during the three-day standoff. DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said 35 to 40 Pakistani military personnel were killed. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh later said that more than 100 terrorists had been neutralized in Operation Sindoor.May 12-13: PM Modi addresses the nationOn May 12, Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation for the first time since the operation began, dedicating Operation Sindoor to “every mother of our country, every sister of our country.” A day later, Pakistan confirmed that 11 Pakistani military personnel were killed and 78 injured in an Indian attack.One Year Later: New DoctrineMonths after the operation, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi described the military phase of Operation Sindoor as an “88-hour” battle and warned Pakistan not to repeat “something so barbaric”.A year later, the Indus Waters Treaty is still pending, reflecting India’s hardline stance that “terror and negotiation cannot coexist.”Prime Minister Modi said in his Independence Day speech in 2025, “India has now decided that blood and water will not flow together.” The suspension of the treaty marks one of the biggest strategic shifts in India-Pakistan relations in decades. The agreement, signed in 1960, governs the sharing of waters of the Indus system, including the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers.As India marks the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, the operation is increasingly seen as a turning point in New Delhi’s response to cross-border terrorism, establishing what the government has repeatedly described as a “new normal” in India’s security doctrine.