India Targets Lashkar Camps in Pakistan After Kashmir Massacre; Operation Sparks Cross-Border Tensions

By A Staff Reporter

India confirmed on Wednesday that its armed forces carried out a 25-minute precision strike on alleged terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, marking one of the most serious escalations between the rival nations in recent years.

At a press briefing in New Delhi, Indian officials said the strikes, part of “Operation Sindoor,” targeted infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed—militant groups blamed for a deadly massacre in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that left more than two dozen civilians, mainly tourists, dead. The operation was conducted from 1:05 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. local time.

Col. Sofiya Qureshi, who led the briefing, emphasized that the targets were “terrorist infrastructure” and not Pakistani military installations. “There have been no reports of civilian casualties from our side,” she said. However, Pakistan’s military disputes that claim, saying at least 26 civilians were killed during the Indian strikes, according to Reuters.

The briefing opened with a video montage of past attacks in India allegedly carried out by Pakistan-based groups, reinforcing New Delhi’s long-standing accusations. Footage of what Indian officials described as real-time strike visuals was also shown, along with maps pinpointing Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed camps in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri directly blamed Islamabad for harboring militants behind the April attack, criticizing Pakistan for taking “no demonstrable steps” to dismantle terror networks on its soil. “Intelligence clearly guided the selection of targets,” Misri stated.

Meanwhile, Pakistan claims it downed five Indian Air Force jets and a drone during the strike. India has yet to confirm or deny these losses, choosing instead to focus on what it called a “measured and necessary” response to cross-border terrorism.