Operation Sindoor eliminated over 100 terrorists, including masterminds of the Pulwama attack and IC-814 hijacking, in precision strikes by India targeting nine camps in Pakistan and PoJK.
In a decisive counter-terror operation, the Indian Armed Forces on Sunday confirmed the elimination of over 100 terrorists, including several high-value figures linked to major past attacks, during Operation Sindoor. The operation, launched on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, saw the destruction of nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoJK).
In a rare tri-service press briefing, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai revealed that among those killed were key masterminds of the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. High-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed were confirmed dead following precision strikes by Indian forces.
Yusuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, played a central role in the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and was also linked to the 2001 Parliament attack. Abdul Malik Rauf, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and a U.S.-designated global terrorist, and Mudasir Ahmed, believed to be one of the planners of the Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel, were also eliminated.
“Operation Sindoor was designed with a clear military objective — to punish the perpetrators and planners of terrorism and dismantle their infrastructure,” said Lt. Gen. Ghai. The operation targeted major terrorist hubs including Muridke and Bahawalpur, known breeding grounds for militants like Ajmal Kasab and David Headley.
Air Marshal A.K. Bharti confirmed that the Indian Air Force executed precision air strikes using guided munitions on camps deep inside Pakistani territory, ensuring minimal collateral damage. He added that Indian air defence systems successfully repelled a coordinated drone and UAV attack launched by Pakistan on the nights of May 8 and 9.
The Pakistani Army reportedly lost 35–40 personnel during the operation, while India lost five soldiers in the cross-border engagement. The military reiterated India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and its readiness to respond with full force against any threat to national security.
