India Launches “Operation Sindoor” Against Pakistan: A Moment of Pride or Prelude to War?
Modi Praises Strike on Pakistan-Controlled Kashmir as Islamabad Decries “Act of War,” Amid Rising Regional Tensions and Iranian Mediation Offer.
Watan-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described “Operation Sindoor,” the codename for India’s recent military strike against Pakistan, as a “moment of pride.”
According to NDTV, Modi named the operation during a cabinet meeting, referring to military attacks on Pakistani territory and the Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir region. He praised the mission, saying it was executed flawlessly with no errors and declared the retaliatory strike a success.
In Hindi, Sindoor refers to the red powder traditionally worn by married Hindu women on their foreheads.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s cabinet declared the Indian missile attacks an act of war and instructed the military to respond accordingly. Pakistan’s National Security Committee condemned the deadly strikes as an explicit act of aggression and pledged retaliation during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
A statement from Sharif’s office said: “These illegal actions are blatant violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, clearly constituting acts of war under international law.” The statement added that Pakistan’s armed forces had been ordered to take “appropriate measures.”
Iran Expresses Concern
Iran expressed “deep concern” Wednesday over what it described as the most intense India-Pakistan clashes in two decades, with at least 38 people killed. Iran’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its concern and noted that it had offered to mediate between the two neighbors, dispatching its foreign minister for that purpose last month.
On Tuesday, the Indian military launched a strike on what it called “terrorist targets” in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, claiming to have hit 9 “terror infrastructure sites.” Islamabad, however, reported that 6 civilian locations were targeted, leaving 26 dead and 46 wounded.
Pakistan’s military also announced the downing of five Indian fighter jets during the attack.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated on April 22 after gunmen opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam, in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 and injuring others. Indian officials blamed the attackers on militants from Pakistan, while Islamabad accused New Delhi of spreading misinformation.
India responded by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and ordered Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi to leave the country within a week.
Pakistan, in turn, rejected the accusations, reduced India’s diplomatic staff in Islamabad, and warned that any unilateral Indian interference in Indus River waters would be considered an act of war. Islamabad also suspended all trade with India and closed its airspace to Indian aircraft
