Over 100 Terrorists Killed In Pakistan Terror Hubs During Operation Sindoor

Newdelhi:11/5/25:More than 100 terrorists, including those linked to the 1999 Indian Airlines IC-814 hijacking and the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, were killed in precision strikes conducted by Indian armed forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajeev Ghai said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference in the capital, Lt Gen Ghai said the operation was conceived with a clear military objective: to target the perpetrators and planners of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.

“Operation Sindoor was conceptualised with a clear military aim—to punish the perpetrators and planners of terror and to destroy their infrastructure. What I will not reiterate here is India’s established resolve and intolerance for terrorism,” he said.

Among those killed were high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed. According to officials, these individuals were directly involved in the hijacking of IC-814 and the Pulwama suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.

“Strikes across nine identified terror hubs eliminated more than 100 terrorists. Some of these locations were actively being used as launch pads and training centers,” Ghai said.

He also confirmed that the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy played significant roles in executing the strikes. “The Air Force engaged several camps with precision targeting, and the Navy provided advanced munitions. The IAF maintained air dominance during the operations,” he added.

In response to the strikes, Pakistani forces violated the Line of Control (LoC), leading to retaliatory engagements. Ghai described Pakistan’s reaction as “erratic and rattled”, pointing out that several civilian areas, including villages and religious sites such as gurdwaras, were hit during their response, resulting in civilian casualties.

Ghai said the Pahalgam attack, along with a string of recent terror strikes, was a tipping point. “The brutal killing of 26 innocent civilians at Pahalgam on April 22, coupled with other attacks on our forces and defenseless civilians, made it imperative for India to respond decisively,” he said.

Post-strike surveillance indicated that several terror hubs had been vacated in anticipation of Indian retaliation. “We undertook a thorough assessment of the terror infrastructure across the border. Many of these sites had been pre-emptively abandoned, likely fearing retribution,” he said.

The government has not released an official count of casualties on the Pakistani side, reiterating that the mission’s objective was not body count but the neutralisation of terror networks.