Indian military strikes carried out on May 7 as part of Operation Sindoor have eliminated several top-tier terrorists affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in what officials are calling a significant blow to Pakistan-based terror networks. Sources confirmed the deaths of five high-profile operatives, all of whom had long histories of involvement in attacks on Indian soil.

Among those neutralized:

• Mudassar Khadian Khas (alias Abu Jundal) – A prominent LeT operative, known for his involvement in organizing attacks in Jammu & Kashmir. His funeral, held at a government school in Pakistan, was attended by Hafiz Abdul Rauf of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and high-ranking Pakistani military officials, raising serious questions about the country’s ties to terror outfits.

• Hafiz Muhammed Jameel – A senior JeM leader and elder brother-in-law of Masood Azhar. His death marks the removal of a core figure within the group’s leadership hierarchy, which has overseen attacks such as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

• Mohammad Yusuf Azhar (also known as Ustad Ji, Mohd Salim, or Ghosi Sahab) – Another JeM operative and brother-in-law of Masood Azhar. A key figure in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, Yusuf had long been on India’s most-wanted list. His elimination is considered a strategic win for Indian counter-terror operations.

• Khalid (alias Abu Akasha) – An LeT militant known for smuggling weapons from Afghanistan and participating in attacks in Kashmir. His funeral in Faisalabad was also attended by Pakistani army officials and the city’s Deputy Commissioner, further drawing international concern.

• Mohammad Hassan Khan – Son of Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, JeM’s operational commander in PoK. Hassan Khan was directly involved in coordinating terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and played a central role in JeM’s logistics and training.

Operation Sindoor targeted nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including key LeT and JeM strongholds in Bahawalpur and Muridke. Intelligence reports estimate that 70 to 80 terrorists were killed, with 30 casualties each reported in Bahawalpur and Muridke.

Indian forces also destroyed a Pakistani air defense radar system in Lahore, showcasing the success of India’s Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) capability—a strategy to cripple enemy radar and missile infrastructure and ensure air dominance during operations.

The strikes came in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu & Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead, including tourists. Indian officials have labeled the operation as not only a retaliation but a pre-emptive action to dismantle terror infrastructure that threatens national security.

Of particular concern is the presence of Pakistani military and civil officials at the funerals of known terrorists, a move Indian officials say reveals the deep-rooted collusion between the Pakistani state and proscribed terror groups. This has reignited calls for the international community to reassess financial and diplomatic engagements with Pakistan, especially considering its ongoing support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

India has reiterated its demand for global accountability on state-sponsored terrorism and urged international institutions to take cognizance of the latest evidence linking Pakistan to terror facilitation. Officials stated that further details would be presented to the United Nations and other global platforms in the coming days.

As Operation Sindoor continues to shift the balance against cross-border terrorism, New Delhi has signaled that it will not hesitate to take similar actions in the future should threats persist.

In a major diplomatic rebuttal, both India and Afghanistan have categorically denied Pakistan’s allegations that an Indian missile attack was launched from or targeted Afghan territory. The denials come amidst rapidly intensifying military tensions in South Asia, following a wave of deadly exchanges between India and Pakistan.

Also Read: India Rejects Pakistan’s Missile Strike Allegation on Afghanistan as “Baseless and Inflammatory”

The Afghan Ministry of Defense, represented by spokesman Inayatullah Khawarizmi, firmly dismissed the Pakistani claims as “baseless and fabricated.” Speaking to Hurriyat Radio Pashto, Khawarizmi asserted that no missile activity occurred on Afghan soil, accusing Islamabad of deliberately spreading misinformation to deflect from its own regional activities.

Echoing Afghanistan’s stance, India’s Ministry of External Affairs also rejected the accusations, labeling them “false propaganda” aimed at misleading the international community. Indian officials indirectly referenced Pakistan’s past interference in Afghanistan, asserting that the Afghan people are fully aware of who has historically respected their sovereignty—and who has not.

These denials follow India’s confirmed military operation on May 7, 2025—Operation Sindoor—in which the Indian Air Force carried out coordinated precision strikes on four Pakistani airbases: Chaklala (Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal), Rafiqui (Shorkot), and one undisclosed site. The operation was reportedly in retaliation for a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir that claimed 26 civilian lives, an act India attributes to Pakistan-based terror outfits.

In response, Pakistan claimed it shot down five Indian aircraft and issued warnings of severe retaliation. Furthermore, Pakistani military officials alleged that India had used Afghan territory as a launchpad for the missile attacks—an assertion now firmly denied by both Kabul and New Delhi.

Meanwhile, civilian casualties continue to rise on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir, as border hostilities intensify. The growing conflict has caught the attention of global powers, with the United States calling for immediate de-escalation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly spoke with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, offering Washington’s support to mediate talks and prevent further escalation.

Complicating matters further are the long-standing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over border violations, cross-border militant activity, and Pakistan’s historical involvement with groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. These factors add to the skepticism in Kabul regarding Pakistan’s narrative.

With both India and Afghanistan taking a unified stance against Islamabad’s allegations, regional observers suggest a shifting geopolitical alignment may be underway. As the international community watches closely, the need for diplomacy and restraint grows ever more urgent amid fears of a wider military confrontation in South Asia.

In a deeply tragic incident that underscores the intensifying hostilities between India and Pakistan, Subedar Major Pawan Jarial of the 25 Punjab Regiment was martyred on Saturday morning in unprovoked Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir.

Hailing from Shahpur Nagar Panchayat in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, the decorated soldier was serving in a unit with historical roots dating back to the British Indian Army’s Punjab Frontier Force of 1857. Following India’s partition, certain battalions like the one Subedar Major Jarial served in remained part of the Indian Army, continuing their valiant legacy in defending the nation.

The fresh shelling incident comes amid escalating military tensions sparked by the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 civilian lives. In retaliation, the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor, a series of pre-dawn missile strikes on nine identified terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Pakistani Army responded with heavy cross-border firing, leading to casualties on both sides.

On May 7, three civilians were killed and nine others injured in a similar round of shelling, prompting authorities to shut down schools and colleges in five border districts—Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch—to ensure civilian safety amid the growing crisis.

The martyrdom of Subedar Major Jarial has plunged his hometown into mourning, as locals and officials alike remember him as a proud son of the soil who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

Internationally, the conflict has raised alarms, with Russia’s Foreign Ministry expressing “deep concern” and urging both countries to pursue diplomatic solutions. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has intensified its counteroffensive, destroying several enemy posts and inflicting significant damage, according to official statements.

In response to the unfolding situation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a high-level security review meeting on May 7, attended by the Lieutenant Governors and Chief Ministers of states bordering Pakistan and Nepal. The discussions focused on the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, security preparedness, and future counterterrorism strategies.

As India mourns another braveheart lost to cross-border aggression, the situation on the LoC remains tense, with no signs of immediate de-escalation.

Rising tensions between India and Pakistan took a sharp turn on Saturday as Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force confirmed in a press briefing that Pakistani forces have begun mobilizing troops toward forward positions along the border. The revelation has sparked fresh concerns of a potential offensive, intensifying an already volatile situation marked by missile exchanges, drone incursions, and cross-border shelling.

“The Pakistan Army has been observed to be moving its troops toward forward areas, indicating an offensive intent to further escalation,” Wing Commander Singh stated. “The Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness. All hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to proportionately.”

This warning came alongside updates on Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory military response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. Executed on May 7, Operation Sindoor targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), marking one of the most significant Indian operations since the Balakot airstrikes in 2019.

Earlier Saturday morning, tensions were further inflamed when Pakistan deployed Byker YIHA III Kamikaze drones aimed at civilian areas in Amritsar, Punjab. The Indian Army’s Air Defence units intercepted the drones at 5 AM, averting casualties and preventing structural damage. Defence officials described the attack as a “deliberate and reckless attempt to endanger innocent lives.”

In swift retaliation, the Indian Air Force launched precision strikes on four Pakistani airbases, specifically targeting logistics and military infrastructure believed to be linked to ongoing terror operations. Simultaneously, sporadic exchanges of fire along the Line of Control (LoC) continued, with both sides accusing each other of initiating provocations.

Local authorities in Rajasthan’s Barmer district reported recovering debris from unidentified projectiles, underscoring the conflict’s reach into civilian zones. Meanwhile, Singh firmly dismissed Pakistan’s claims of having damaged Indian military assets, including the S-400 air defense system and airfields in Suratgarh and Sirsa, calling them “false and part of a malicious misinformation campaign.”

Economic tremors are also being felt amid the conflict. Pakistan’s benchmark stock index plunged by nearly 6% on May 9, while in India’s border states like Punjab, reports of panic buying have emerged, driven by public anxiety over potential escalation.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, issued a warning of “increasingly certain retaliation,” even as Islamabad denied accusations of launching strikes on Indian cities such as Pathankot, Srinagar, and Jaisalmer, labeling New Delhi’s statements “politically motivated.”

This episode is the latest in a long and troubled history of India-Pakistan confrontations, rooted primarily in the decades-long dispute over Kashmir. Military analysts have drawn parallels to Operation Brasstacks (1986–87), when massive troop mobilizations nearly triggered a full-scale war. Today, the introduction of drones, precision-guided munitions, and information warfare has further raised the stakes.

With both nations on high alert and diplomatic channels strained, the international community has called for immediate de-escalation. The United Nations and regional powers have urged restraint, though mediation efforts remain limited. As troops continue to mobilize and both sides signal readiness for further action, the subcontinent faces one of its most precarious moments in recent years.