Page 21 - Pahalgam Attack

Pakistan is 'trying to avoid' full-fledged war, says Defence Minister Asif

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said Islamabad is "trying to avoid" a full-fledged war, hours after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab province. India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday, hitting nine terror targets in PoK and Punjab in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people. "There is a possibility of expansion of this conflict into a full-fledged war, which we are trying to avoid," Asif told CNN's Becky Anderson on Connect the World. He said that they (India) last night crossed an international boundary. The attack early Wednesday was a "clear-cut violation, and an invitation to expand the conflict and maybe convert it into something much wider and much more dangerous for the region," he said. When asked what happens next, the minister said Pakistan "is prepared for an all-out war". "There is absolutely no doubt, because India is increasing the intensit

Operation Sindoor: Govt shuts 25 flight routes to Pak from Indian airspace

India shuts 25 air corridors into Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. International flights face reroutes as tensions escalate

Operation Sindoor: 'PM Modi has given the answer,' says Himanshi Narwal

Navy officer Vinay Narwal's widow Himanshi said that Operation Sindoor has sent a strong and clear message to those responsible for the massacre that killed her husband and 25 others in Pahalgam

Operation Sindoor: UK PM Starmer calls for restraint, Sunak backs India

Keir Starmer told the UK Parliament that rising tensions between India and Pakistan would be of serious concern for many residents of Britain

Operation Sindoor: Jaishankar engages allies after missile strikes in Pak

After India's strikes on terror camps under Operation Sindoor, EAM S Jaishankar spoke with foreign ministers of Japan, France, Germany, Spain, and Qatar, stressing zero tolerance for terrorism

Shehbaz Sharif says Pak Army was ready, lauds forces for 'swift response'

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the Pakistan Army was ready for an Indian attack, lauding his forces for the "swift response". Addressing a session of the Parliament amid escalated tensions between the two countries, Shehbaz claimed that the Pakistan armed forces destroyed five Indian jets. He, however, did not provide any evidence in support of his claim. "Last night, 80 Indian aircraft were part of the offensive, but Pakistan's air defence effectively neutralised the threat, he claimed. The Prime Minister lauded the Pakistan Air Force and its chief "for the swift response", saying that the armed forces had prior intelligence about India's plans. "We shot down five enemy jets, including Rafales, and also downed two Indian drones, he claimed, without providing any evidence to back up his claims. Referring to Rafale jets, the prime minister claimed Pakistan jammed their systems. "Our armed forces were on high alert round the clock and ready to defend the homel

Rajasthan on alert after India strikes Pak, state leaders hail Op Sindoor

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot were among several leaders who welcomed 'Operation Sindoor' carried out by the Indian Armed Forces in Pakistan on Wednesday. Sharma, who returned from Gujarat on Tuesday morning, is monitoring the situation in the state following the operation, a state government spokesperson said. The chief minister is in constant touch with Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant and Director General of Police U R Sahu, and the state government and administration are on high alert, the spokesperson added. Special instructions have been issued to the administration in the border districts of Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer, which share a border with Pakistan. All schools in these four districts have been shut as a precautionary measure. The chief secretary appealed to the public to remain calm and not fall for rumours. Welcoming the strikes targeting nine terrorist camps across the border, Sharma in a post on X in ..

Civil defence mock drill: Lutyens' Delhi to face 15-minute blackout tonight

Hospitals, Rashtrapati Bhawan, PMO, and other important establishments will be exempted from the blackout drill

'Targeted those who killed innocents': Rajnath Singh on Operation Sindoor

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commended Indian armed forces for carrying out precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

Nationwide mock drills begin; Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata test crisis readiness

Sirens blared, crowds evacuated as India launched civil defence mock drills in 244 districts - Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, and more simulate real-time emergency response

Watch: India strikes terror camps in Pakistan, army releases videos

India carried out pre-dawn strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, with the Army releasing videos of the precision hits under Operation Sindoor

Op Sindoor: Terrorists will think 100 times, says victim Narwal's father

Pahalgam terror attack victim Lt Vinay Narwal's father, Rajesh Narwal, on Wednesday hailed India's response and said the Modi government has sent a strong message and now the perpetrators of the April 22 attack "will think 100 times" before repeating such attacks in the future. Retaliating against the terror attack, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke. "When this (Pahalgam) incident happened, even then you (media) came to my home and asked what I expected from the government. My answer was that I had faith in our government. And today, the government has justified that trust," Rajesh Narwal told reporters at his residence in Karnal. "I had said that such a thing (retaliatory strikes) has to be done so that no one dares to do such a cowardly act again...the strikes carried out on the terror targe

Fully prepared to respond to Pak: India after hitting 9 sites in 25 minutes

Five targets were hit in PoJK - the Sawai Nala and Syedna Belal camps in Muzaffarabad, the Gulpur and Abbas camps in Kotli, and the Barnala camp in Bhimber

Operation Sindoor: Over 200 flights cancelled, 18 airports shut temporarily

Over 200 flights were cancelled and 18 airports shut after India's missile strikes on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir terror camps trigger nationwide airspace restrictions. IndiGo alone cancelled over 16

Op Sindoor: Pakistan shuts its airspace for 48 hours after India's strike

Pakistan on Wednesday announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace for all air traffic after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK. Shortly after the military strike by India, Pakistani aviation authorities closed the airspace over Islamabad and Lahore and diverted flights to Karachi. Later, the entire airspace was closed for 48 hours as a precautionary measure. However, aviation authorities reopened the airspace after an eight-hour closure. International and domestic flights resumed this morning, with the majority of them departing from the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi or Lahore. However, airspace in Lahore was closed again for 24 hours after a brief resumption. A heavy rush was witnessed at the Jinnah Airport in Karachi as delayed international and domestic flights took off or landed there. A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority said that flights from West Asian countries and other destinations are now fully operational as

Operation Sindoor: A look at India's past military conflicts with Pakistan

'Operation Sindoor' is the latest in the long history of military and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, rooted in the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir

Op Sindoor: Akhilesh Yadav lauds Indian military's cross brorder strikes

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday welcomed the Indian military's strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), stating that the fight against terrorism is a long one and that it must target the roots rather than the branches. India launched Operation Sindoor as a strong response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 carried out by terror organisation The Resistance Front which killed 26 civilians, including a Nepalese citizen. Talking to reporters at the party headquarters here, Yadav reiterated his party's support for decisive action against terrorism, recalling the SP's stand during the all-party meeting held in Delhi following the Pahalgam terror attack. "The Samajwadi Party had clearly stated in the all-party meeting that it stands firmly with the government on any action needed in this matter," Yadav said. "When the root of terrorism is attacked, the branches will wither on their own. This is

'Fearless in unity': Sporting legends praise Army's 'Operation Sindoor'

Praising India's actions to counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, many sporting legends, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan shared their support on social media

'Fighter's fight begins': Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar react to Op Sindoor

he actors took to their respective social media accounts to praise the armed forces. Akshay Kumar shared a post on his X account and wrote, Jai Hind, Jai Mahakal

Shah calls meet of CMs, DGPs, chief secys of Pak, Nepal border states

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday called an urgent meeting of chief ministers, chief secretaries and DGPs of states having borders with Pakistan and Nepal. The meeting has been called in the wake of the strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a retaliatory action against the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said. They said the meeting, to be held through video conferencing, will be attended by chief ministers, chief secretaries and Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim and West Bengal, besides Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. The home minister has already directed chiefs of all Central Armed Police Forces to call back their personnel who are on leave, they said. According to sources, Shah also reviewed the internal security situation in the country and asked the top security officials to be on alert and keep strict .