Morning Brief: India Punishes Pakistan For Pahalgam—Here Are Three Things We Know About Operation Sindoor; Panic-Stricken Rawalpindi Resorts To Fake News To Save Face; And More

Five Things We Know About Operation Sindoor

In the early hours of Wednesday (7 May), India struck multiple targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting what it said was terror-linked infrastructure in precision strikes. While the details about the attack are still patchy in the absence of a detailed briefing by the government, here are five things we know so far:

1. A Coordinated Tri-Service Operation

India’s response appears to have been a tri-service military operation, involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force. While exact roles and mission details of each service branch remain classified, it is believed that precision strike capabilities from all three were employed.

This raises the possibility that targets may have been hit not only from air and land but potentially also from the sea, although official confirmation is awaited.

Notably, a serving Indian Navy officer was among those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, suggesting possible naval involvement in the planning or execution of the retaliation.

2. Use of Advanced Fighter Jets and Weaponry

Preliminary reports indicate that the Indian Air Force deployed Rafale fighter jets during the operation. These jets are reported to have launched SCALP and Hammer precision-guided missiles, capable of hitting fortified and deeply buried targets.

SCALP is a long-range, air-launched, precision strike weapon designed for pre-planned missions against high-value, fixed targets, including fortified bunkers and critical infrastructure. HAMMER is an all-weather, smart air-to-surface weapon equipped with extended stand-off capability for accurate strikes in a variety of operational conditions.

Additionally, loitering munitions—which can hover over a target area before striking—may also have been used.

While the Indian government has not officially confirmed the platforms or munitions used, the reported weapons were selected to ensure the strike was precise in order to minimise collateral damage and maximise impact.

Inter-Services Public Relations, propaganda wing of the Pakistan Army, has reported 24 impacts with different weapons at six sites in Pakistan.

3. Multiple High-Value Targets Hit Across Pakistan, POJK

India reportedly struck nine separate targets across Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK). These locations are believed to be linked to terrorist infrastructure and leadership.

Bahawalpur, located near the Rajasthan border across the Thar Desert, has long served as a stronghold of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, led by Maulana Masood Azhar. Azhar was one of three terrorists released by India in exchange for the passengers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which was hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in December 1999.

While the full list has not been officially disclosed, eight of the known targets include:

• Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur

• Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters in Muridke

• Chak Amru in Pakistan’s Narowal district

• A terror camp near Sialkot

• Muzaffarabad, capital of PoK

• Kotli, PoK

• Gulpur, PoK

• Bimber, PoK

Here's a map showing the locations hit in the Indian strikes.

US Refuses To Condemn Indian Strike, Says It 'Will Hopefully End Quickly'

Following India's strikes on nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that the situation would "end very quickly." He remarked that the two nations have a long history of conflict and said it was unfortunate to see tensions rise again.

The Indian embassy in Washington stated that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefed US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the operation.

"I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo President Trump's comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution," Rubio said in a tweet some time after his conversation with Doval.

Indian officials also reached out to counterparts in countries like the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Russia to explain the strikes. The embassy emphasised that India's response targeted only terror camps linked to a recent deadly attack in Jammu & Kashmir, and was designed to be precise, measured, and non-escalatory.