New Delhi: Operation Sindoor, India’s swift and surgical counterstrike after the Pahalgam terror attack, was the result of detailed planning by the government and the security establishment over the past two weeks. The goal was to break the backbone of the terror outfits operating from Pakistan

April 22: Twenty-five tourists and a Kashmiri pony operator were killed in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley. The attackers singled out victims based on religion and shot them in front of their families.

April 23: India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and shut down the Attari Integrated Check Post. All visa exemptions for Pakistani nationals were revoked, and all visa services were suspended. India also reduced Pakistan’s diplomatic presence and asked its defence advisors to leave within a week.

April 24: At a rally in Bihar, PM Modi vowed to punish every terrorist and their backers, calling the attack an assault on “India’s soul.”

April 25:  An all-party meeting was held to brief political leaders on India’s planned                    response.

April 29: PM Modi chaired a high-level security meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan and military chiefs. The forces were given full operational freedom to choose the timing and nature of retaliation.

May 5: The Home Ministry directed all States and UTs to conduct civil defence drills on May 7. The drills involved air raid warnings, blackouts, and evacuation exercises, hinting at imminent action.

May 6:  The UN Security Council held closed-door consultations at Pakistan’s request. Pakistan’s narrative was reportedly dismissed, and the Pahalgam attack condemned.

May 7 (1.05 – 1.30 am): India launched 24 precision missile strikes across nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Around 70 terrorists were killed and over 60 were injured. No Pakistani military assets were targeted and collateral damage was reportedly minimal.