Uri, Balakot, Sindoor: A look at each of India's three deadly strikes in response to terror attacks

Just over two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in Kashmir's Baisaran meadow, India has retaliated with Operation Sindoor. Taking place in the early hours of Wednesday, May 7 (reportedly at 1.08AM), Operation Sindoor targeted 9 terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing 70 terrorists and leaving over 60 of their kind injured.

The 24 precision missile strikes targeted camps across Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal, believed to be the launchpads used by the Lashkar, the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist groups.

This was the first step in India's retaliation to avenge the loss of 26 innocent, civilian lives in Pahalgam, orchestrated by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. As soon as the mission was concluded a success, the official X handle of the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army), posted, “#PahalgamTerrorAttack Justice is Served. Jai Hind!”.

'First step' is crucial in this regard, owing to the fact that former Chief of Army Staff Manoj Naravane, shortly after news of the strike broke, posted to X the following statement: "Abhi picture baki hai…".

This makes for the third publicly-acknowledged strike carried out by India, when it comes to the India-Pakistan conflict dynamic. The Balakot Airstrike of 2019 and the Uri Surgical Strike of 2016 were Operation Sindoor's predecessors in this regard.

Balakot Airstrike

The Balakot Airstrike took place on February 26, 2019. This was India's official armed response to the Pulwama attack, which had occurred on February 14. A security forces convoy travelling through Pulwama was attacked by a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber — India lost 40 CRPF personnel that day. The Balakot Airstrike then, targeted a JeM training camp located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Retaliatory airstrikes were carried out by Pakistan the very next day, the result of which was IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman being captured. Varthaman was released in 2 days.

Uri Surgical Strike

On September 18, 2016, four terrorists, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad, attacked an Indian army base in Jammu & Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 Indian soldiers, and injuring 30 more. A six-hour long gun battle ensued by the end of which, all 4 terrorists were killed. On September 29, India launched a covert surgical strike, with Indian Army commandos crossing the LoC and annihilating seven terrorist launchpads located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Army called it a "pre-emptive strike" carried out to quash terrorist plots planning to "infiltrate and conduct terror attacks inside J&K and various metros in other states".

Coming back to Operation Sindoor, the same was condemned by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who took to X to post his heightened sentiments. "This heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished. Pakistan reserves the absolute right to respond decisively to this unprovoked Indian attack — a resolute response is already underway", read an excerpt.

On the civilian front, nationwide mock drills have commenced in India, lasting between 4PM and 7PM today, to train the public on their preparedness in the face of potential hostility.