On Google, India looks for 'Operation Sindoor', Pak gripped by Bahawalpur

Interestingly both countries saw significant searches for Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a senior officer from the Indian Army who was part of the Indian government's media briefing regarding missile strike

Following India's 'Operation Sindoor', which involved targeted and non-escalatory missile strikes on terror centres in Pakistan early Wednesday morning, the military action found an echo in online trends and search patterns, with a geographical variance in online searches.

 

Google Trends data showed that while 'Operation Sindoor' was the top trending term in India, with over 2 million searches, Pakistani cyberspace saw 'Bahawalpur' leading with over half a million searches.

 

The Indian trend suggests a centralised focus on the specifics of the reported military action, with related searches around Masood Azhar and Sindoor Operation, among others. 'Related queries' data in India reveal an intense concern for the impact of the operation, with increasing searches for 'Operation Sindoor reaction' and ‘Operation Sindoor how many killed'. Interestingly, searches for '#Flightradar24' and 'flight tracking' were also prominent, hinting at heightened security anxieties and public monitoring of air traffic.

 

 

The search interest was highest in Karnataka, Delhi, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with relatively lower interest seen in the traditionally sensitive regions of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

 

Interestingly, 'Operation Sindoor' was also a trending term in Pakistan but with much less concentration. Instead, 'Bahawalpur', where the 18-acre headquarters of the Masood Azhar-led terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was targeted in the missile strikes, saw the most searches.

 

The south Pakistan city has become the dominant trending topic across the border, with searches revolving around the immediate aftermath, with terms like 'Bahawalpur attack', 'Bahawalpur map', and 'Bahawalpur distance'. Geographically, search interest for #Bahawalpur peaks in Punjab, where the city is located, followed by the Islamabad Capital Territory and Sindh, indicating a more geographically concentrated zone of concern.

 

Alongside Bahawalpur, searches for Muzaffarabad, border, explosion, and even madrasa are prominent in Pakistan. Notably, the most searched entity is 'mosque', often linked with an Al Jazeera report, potentially indicating heightened alert and a focus on local community impact. In terms of media consumption, #ARYNewsLive was trending high, suggesting a strong reliance on local news sources. Economic anxieties are also evident, with #KarachiStockExchange and #PakistanShareMarket trending, suggesting an interest in local economic stability.

 

Geographic interest in 'Operation Sindoor' within Pakistan was highest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), followed by Islamabad Capital Territory and Sindh, indicating that the location of the military operation is more important for the Pakistani.

 

The 'related queries' data for 'India Pakistan war' (worldwide) revealed a mix of historical context and current anxieties. In both India and Pakistan, there is significant interest in past conflicts like the 1971 and 1965 wars. However, the 'rising queries' dataset offers a glimpse into more immediate concerns. In India, these centred around ‘Pakistan and India war 2025’, ‘India Pakistan war prediction 2025’, “Is there any chance of war between India and Pakistan”, and so on.

 

The trending terms also reveal differences in news consumption patterns. In India, there was significant interest in "flightradar24" and ‘flight tracker,’ suggesting a desire to monitor air traffic movements. In Pakistan, 'ARY News Live', 'BBC Urdu' and 'DGispr' were trending, demonstrating the importance of local news sources. In both countries, however, there was interest in international media outlets like CNN and BBC News.

 

A notable trend in both countries was the interest in the economic impact of the situation. Both countries saw searches for 'Dassault Aviation share price', potentially reflecting interest in the performance of defense stocks. Dassault also manufactures the Rafale fighter aircraft, which are part of the Indian Air Force. In Pakistan, there was a notable spike in searches for "Pakistan share market," highlighting concerns about the economic stability of the country.

 

Interestingly, both countries have seen significant searches for Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a senior officer from the Indian Army who was part of the Indian government's media briefing regarding the missile strikes, with related queries centered around her religion.