Nine terror camps, eleven airbases: How India delivered cleared message to Pakistan after Pahalgam attack

India launched Operation Sindoor just after midnight on May 7, marking its most decisive military response to cross-border terrorism. The operation came after the Pahalgam massacre, where several tourists were killed in a brutal execution-style attack. In response, the Indian military carried out coordinated strikes deep inside Pakistan, targeting key terror infrastructure. Nine high-value locations were hit across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Muridke and Bahawalpur — the ideological and operational bases of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.A day after the Pahalgam attack, the central government suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a key 1960 agreement that regulates the use of rivers between India and Pakistan.

In retaliation, Pakistan suspended the 1972 Simla Agreement and all other bilateral accords, accusing India of aggression and violations of international law.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Bihar's Madhubani, made his first public comments after the Pahalgam killings. He said that every terrorist and their backers would be tracked and punished, and that justice would be delivered. He also called for national unity in the face of the attacks.

In the days that followed, India stepped up security nationwide. Emergency drills and blackout rehearsals were held in border areas, and critical infrastructure was placed on high alert.Pakistan responded to the Indian strikes with drone swarms and missile attacks, but India’s air defense systems neutralized these threats. As Pakistan continued to violate Indian airspace, India launched follow-up airstrikes that destroyed 11 Pakistani airbases, including strategic sites like the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi and Rahim Yar Khan.On May 10, after several days of crossborder tensions, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart to propose a ceasefire. The proposal was accepted, and foreign secretary Vikram Misri formally announced the agreement later that evening.