In a first since 1971 war, India’s Army, Navy, Air force launch joint strikes in Pakistan: 5 things to know

Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. (Representative image)

In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, India’s Army, Navy, and Air Force launched Operation Sindoor, an unprecedented tri‑services strike on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir.

This coordinated assault, the first of its kind against Pakistan since the 1971 war, was ordered in retaliation for the April  22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, most of them tourists.

Catch Operation Sindoor live updates here.

Here’s what we know so far:

>> At exactly 1:44 am, Indian armed forces launched coordinated strikes on nine identified terror hubs located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Defence sources confirmed that the operations focused solely on terror infrastructure used to plan and direct attacks on Indian soil.

>> The strikes were executed using precision-guided munitions and kamikaze drones (also known as loitering munitions) capable of homing in on and destroying targets by crashing into them with explosive warheads.

>> The operation targeted four Jaish-e-Mohammed sites - Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, Sarjal at Tehra Kalan, Markaz Abbas in Kotli, and the Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad. Three Lashkar-e-Taiba locations were also struck - Markaz Taiba in Murdike, Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala, and the Shwawai Nalla camp in Muzaffarabad. Additionally, two Hizbul Mujahideen facilities - Makaz Raheel Shahid in Kotli and Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot - were hit.

>> The Indian military has stated that no Pakistani military or civilian installations were targeted. Officials described the operation as a calibrated, non-escalatory action, designed to send a message without triggering broader conflict.

>> Prime Minister Narendra Modi monitored the progress of the strikes through the night. Soon after the mission, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke with US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, providing a detailed account of India’s actions and reaffirming New Delhi’s intent to curb cross-border terrorism.