• Source:JND
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Operation Sindoor meaning: India on Wednesday reacted strongly to the Pahalgam attack where cross-border terrorists gunned down 26 innocent people earlier last month. Carrying out missile strikes against terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Indian Army retaliated firmly to the deadly terror attack with 'Operation Sindoor'. The military operation was launched in the wee hours of May 7 as the Indian armed forces busted nine terror infrastructures in Kotli, Bahwalpur and Muzaffarabad of Pakistan.

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What Is Operation Sindoor

The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor in response to the terrorist attack which took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. The Union Defence Ministry, in its statement, said the Army targeted terror bases where attacks against India were planned. "Altogether, nine sites have been targeted. Our actions have been focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature."

The Indian Army clearly stated that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted in the strikes as "considerable restraint" was practiced during target selection and execution of Operation Sindoor.

Operation Sindoor was carried out with precision strike weapon systems used by three armed forces - Army, Navy and Air Force. The precision weapons included loitering munition, which can hover over the area and locate the target before striking. Conducted from Indian territory, the attacks followed coordinates provided by intelligence agencies. These locations were identified as bases of key Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leadership.

Why the Name 'Operation Sindoor'

In the attack, which took place on a tourist camp in Baisaran valley near Pahalgam, terrorists targeted only the male members of the families. All the 26 people who lost their lives were men. The terror attack left several women widowed. The name, Operation Sindoor, indicates the Indian Army's bid to avenge the deaths of the husbands. While there was no official explanation behind the choice of the code name, it was widely perceived as a tribute to the lost lives. Sindoor or vermilion is worn by married Hindu women on their forehead as a mark of their marital status.

"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered. We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," the Defence Ministry said in its statement.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top military brass of India are closely monitoring the operation, news agencies reported citing sources.

Earlier on April 29, Prime Minister Modi held a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, where he gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. PM Modi also said the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".

(With inputs from PTI)