India marks Operation Sindoor anniversary, says strikes gave ‘befitting reply’ to Pakistan-backed terror

India on May 7 marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) describing the military action as a “befitting reply” to Pakistan-backed terrorism following the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

Speaking on the anniversary of the operation, the MEA reiterated India’s position that the country has the right to defend itself against cross-border terror attacks.

The operation was launched in May 2025 after the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. Indian authorities had linked the attack to Pakistan-based terror groups.

During a press briefing, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said Indian forces had destroyed 13 Pakistani aircraft and carried out strikes on 11 Pakistani airfields during Operation Sindoor. He said the Indian military also targeted and destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

According to Bharti, the aircraft destroyed included assets hit both on the ground and in the air. He also claimed that one “high-value airborne asset” was struck from a distance exceeding 300 kilometres.

Indian military officials stated that the operation involved coordinated action by the Army, Navy and Air Force. Bharti said the armed forces were given operational freedom during the conflict and that strategic decisions were taken jointly by the three services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to the anniversary, describing Operation Sindoor as a response to those responsible for the Pahalgam attack and praising the “courage, precision and resolve” of the armed forces.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said the operation reflected a shift from India’s earlier approach of relying primarily on diplomatic responses after terror attacks.

Operation Sindoor began on May 7, 2025, with Indian strikes on what officials described as terror infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation later expanded into wider military exchanges between the two countries, including air and missile strikes on military installations.

Indian officials have maintained that the strikes were aimed at terror infrastructure and military targets linked to cross-border attacks. Pakistan, meanwhile, had rejected several Indian claims during the conflict and accused India of escalation.