Operation Sindoor

• 08 May 2025

Why in News? 

India retaliated against the April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack by launching Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). 

Key Points 

• Operation Sindoor:  
  • It was executed through the coordinated efforts of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, conducted from Indian territory.  
  • Unlike past operations with aggressive names meant to project strength, this operation’s name was chosen as a personal tribute to the victims, particularly the widows of the Pahalgam attack. 
  • Intelligence and probe agencies confirmed that the targeted camps were linked to banned terrorist groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen. 
• Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM):  
  • JeM operates its primary recruitment and training base in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, established soon after its formation by Masood Azhar in March 2000. 
  • Masood Azhar was released by India in the IC-814 hijacking exchange deal in December 1999. 
  • JeM orchestrated major attacks in India: 
    • October 2001: J&K Assembly car blast 
    • December 13, 2001: Indian Parliament attack (in collaboration with LeT) 
    • January 2016: Pathankot Airbase attack 
    • February 14, 2019: Pulwama suicide bombing  
  • These attacks prompted strong Indian military responses, including the Balakot airstrikes. 
  • The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 Committee listed Masood Azhar in May 2019, and the US designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2010. 
• Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT):  
  • Hafiz Saeed co-founded LeT in 1987-88; its headquarters are located in Muridke, near Lahore, Pakistan. 
  • LeT is linked to Jamaat-ud-Dawa, its parent organisation. 
  • Notable LeT attacks include: 
    • October 2005: Delhi serial blasts  
    • July 2006: Mumbai train blasts  
    • November 2008: 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks 
    • September 2016: Uri Army base attack  
  • The UNSC sanctioned LeT in May 2005, and designated Hafiz Saeed on December 10, 2008. 
  • The US Treasury Department declared Hafiz Saeed a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2008 and criticised Pakistan for releasing him in 2017. 
• Hizbul Mujahideen: Active Launch Pad from PoJK: 
  • Founded in 1989 by Muhammad Ahsan Dar, Hizbul Mujahideen has its headquarters in Muzaffarabad, PoJK. 
  • The group was most active in the 1990s and continues to operate in Jammu & Kashmir. 
  • Its current chief is Syed Salahuddin. 
  • Security forces killed its commander Burhan Wani in 2016 in South Kashmir. 
  • Muzaffarabad acts as a key launching pad for cross-border terrorism against India.