'India will strike terrorists inside Pakistan': Jaishankar had warned US ahead of Operation Sindoor

Jaishankar had said unequivocally, in a telephonic conversation with Rubio on May 1, that India will target terrorists inside Pakistan.

India would strike terrorists operating from Pakistani soil, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar had, in a stern message to the US, reportedly told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, nearly a week before the Indian armed forces unleashed Operation Sindoor.

The EAM's warning followed the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. The ghastly terrorist attack led to an immediate spike in hostilities, with New Delhi blaming Pakistan-based groups for the massacre, an accusation denied by Islamabad.

How are things shaping up after the India-Pakistan truce announcement? Check live updates here.

“There should be no doubt - India will strike terrorists inside Pakistan," Jaishankar had said unequivocally, in a telephonic conversation with Rubio on May 1, state sources cited in a NDTV report.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror hubs spread across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The surgical strikes focused on infrastructure used by groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Soon after, Pakistan retaliated with a series of drone and munition attacks, triggering a sharp military exchange. India claimed to have successfully repelled these strikes, stating its forces issued a “befitting reply.”

The conflict escalated sharply on May 9 and 10, when Indian armed forces launched precision airstrikes on several key Pakistani military installations - including Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian - as well as radar facilities at Pasrur and Sialkot.

Indian fighter jets deployed advanced air-launched munitions in what officials described as “hellfire” assaults.

However, contrary to suggestions that US-led diplomacy defused the crisis, top government sources told Moneycontrol that it was India's assertive military action that forced Islamabad to reconsider.

Indian officials stated that any formal cessation of firing had to originate from Pakistan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a late-night call with Vice President Vance on May 9, had reportedly refused to back down.

By the morning of May 10, Secretary Rubio had reached out to Jaishankar again after speaking with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir. According to government sources, Rubio had conveyed that Islamabad was willing to halt hostilities if New Delhi did the same.

Later that evening, US President Donald Trump took to social media, announcing that “after a long night of talks,” India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Rubio also later confirmed that both he and US Vice President JD Vance had worked closely with leaders on both sides to broker a truce.

Shortly after, Jaishankar confirmed the development on social media, “India and Pakistan have today worked out an understanding on cessation of hostilities. India remains unwavering in its stand against terrorism and will continue to act decisively against it in all its forms.”

Around noon on Monday, the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan are scheduled to hold formal talks to discuss the ceasefire understanding reached between the two nations.

Indian DGMO Lieutenant General Rajeev Ghai will speak with his Pakistani counterpart, Major General Kashif Chaudhry, marking the first official military-to-military engagement since cross-border tensions escalated into the deadliest confrontation in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours.