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India-Pakistan tensions: India’s offensive strikes during Operation Sindoor targeted key Pakistani airbases with precision, utilising loitering munitions to destroy high-value targets.

Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D’Cunha, Director General of Army Air Defence, on Monday highlighted the country’s military capabilities and stated that India possesses the arsenal capability of striking targets across the full depth of Pakistan in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.

In an interview with ANI, Lt Gen D’Cunha said, “The whole of Pakistan is within range.” He stated that even if they relocate the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) from Rawalpindi to regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), they will have to “find a deep hole.”

India’s offensive strikes during Operation Sindoor targeted key Pakistani airbases with precision, utilising loitering munitions to destroy high-value targets.

Lt Gen D’Cunha said, “I just like to say that India has an adequate arsenal of weapons to take on Pakistan right across its depth. So, from its broadest to its narrowest, wherever it is, the whole of Pakistan is within range. We are absolutely capable, from our borders or even in depth, where we can take on the entire Pakistan. And the GHQ can move from Rawalpindi to KPK or wherever they want to move, but they are all within range, so they will have to really find a deep hole.”

Modern indigenous technology, including long-range drones and guided munitions, played a crucial role in the operation’s success.

Lt Gen D’Cunha further underscored that the armed forces’ primary duty is protecting the nation’s sovereignty and its people.

“Our job is to protect our sovereignty, our people… So, I think that the very fact that we have been able to protect our motherland from this onslaught, which was aimed at causing a lot of problems in population centers and in our cantonments, the very fact that we have given this reassurance to our people, not only to our civil population… a lot of our own jawans, officers, wives were staying in cantonments. And they were also equally concerned about these drone attacks. And the very fact that we ensured that this did not manifest in any casualties, I am sure it not only made the soldier feel proud, it made the families feel proud. And finally, the population of India feel proud. I think that’s the takeaway.”

India’s Operation Sindoor showcased its preparedness in modern warfare, particularly in neutralising drones and other advanced technologies.

The operation highlighted India’s integrated command structures, enabling seamless coordination between different military branches.

Operation Sindoor reflected India’s “Shishupala Doctrine,” which involves exercising patience until a predefined threshold of provocation is crossed, followed by decisive action.

The operation shifted from reactive defence to proactive security doctrine, showcasing India’s willingness to take bold action against terrorism.

Backed by over 2,400 member companies, the Travel Agents Association of India says the initiative is a show of solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the most iconic, scenic and culturally significant destinations in India and globally. In response to concerns over tourism following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has launched the “Let’s Visit J&K” or “Chalo Kashmir” campaign. TAAI, the oldest and largest association representing the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in India, said the campaign aims to restore the region’s vibrancy and support tourism revival.

According to official data, tourism in Kashmir saw record numbers in 2024. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a historic footfall of 2.35 crore tourists during the year, PTI reported. This included domestic travellers, pilgrims visiting Amarnath and Vaishno Devi, and around 65,000 foreign tourists.

“While recent disturbances have raised concerns, they cannot diminish the timeless appeal of the region. An incident meant to cause disruption cannot take away the legacy of Jammu and Kashmir,” TAAI said in a press statement. “By encouraging travel to Jammu and Kashmir, we support local livelihoods and send a message of resilience, unity and hope,” the association added.

At a meeting held on May 16, 2025, the Managing Committee and Chapter Chairpersons of TAAI passed a unanimous resolution to promote travel to Jammu and Kashmir in an active and sustained manner.

The association aims to reach more than one million travellers – including families, groups and individuals – through the direct customer base of its 2,400+ member companies across India.

Key Initiatives Under “Let’s Visit J&K” Campaign:

• Coordination with J&K Government: TAAI has requested the Hon’ble Chief Minister and concerned authorities to implement strong safety measures for all visitors to the Union Territory.
• Support From The Hospitality Sector: The campaign plans to coordinate with hotels and local tourism operators to offer special promotional packages and personalised services to tourists.
• Engagement With Airlines: Airlines are being invited to offer promotional fares to make travel to Jammu and Kashmir more affordable and appealing.
• Mobilising Local Network: The TAAI J&K Chapter, which includes over 100 member companies from the travel and tourism sector, is actively participating in the campaign.

The Campaign’s Message To Travellers Across India:

• Make space in your heart for J&K.
• Make plans to visit J&K.
• Support the people of J&K.
• Let us help revive tourism in J&K.

The Congress leader said the French delegation arrived for its trip to India, despite knowing that an Indian outreach team is set to visit the European country this week for the outreach program.

A French delegation visiting India has expressed strong support for the country in its fight against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday. 

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Tharoor, who heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, said the Senate delegation “fully supported” Operation Sindoor that was launched by India on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. 

“The French Senate delegation fully supported India’s stand on cross-border terrorism. At a meeting (of the foreign affairs panel) today, the five-member delegation used a term, ‘Soutien’, which means ‘full support’,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

Mr Tharoor said he introduced the delegation to Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is scheduled to lead an Indian delegation of MPs to France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the EU, Italy and Denmark on Thursday, to put across India’s resolve to tackle terrorism.

“We never spoke specifically about the Rafale but Mr Prasad told the French delegation that Rafale is the symbol of Indo-French ties,” Mr Tharoor said. 

The Congress leader said the French delegation arrived for its trip to India, despite knowing that an Indian outreach team is set to visit the European country this week for the outreach program.

“Even as the (Indian delegation’s) trip was planned, they (French delegation) said they will come and show their support to India,” he said. 

Asked if the French Senate delegation extended its support to India’s strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Mr Tharoor said: “Absolutely”. 

Over 50 political leaders, parliamentarians and former ministers cutting across party lines are set to be a part of seven delegations travelling to world capitals, to put across India’s resolve to tackle terrorism, from Wednesday.

The delegations led by Baijayant Panda, Ravi Shankar Prasad (both BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Mr Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (DMK) and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP) will visit a total of 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

Each delegation comprises seven or eight political leaders and is assisted by former diplomats. The delegation led by Mr Tharoor comprises Shambhavi (LJP-RV), Sarfaraz Ahmed (JMM), G M Harish Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneshwar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Tejasvi Surya (BJP) and former diplomat Taranjit Sandhu. It will travel to the US, Panama, Guyana, Colombia and Brazil.

“One mission. One message. One Bharat. Seven All-Party Delegations will soon engage key nations under #OperationSindoor, reflecting our collective resolve against terrorism,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a post on X.

The delegations include former Union Ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad, M J Akbar, Anand Sharma, V Muraleedharan, Salman Khurshid, and S S Ahluwalia, who are not MPs at present.

The Opposition has demanded a special Parliament Session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and subsequent cross-border tensions

The Centre is unlikely to hold a special session of the Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and India-Pakistan tensions, as the opposition has been demanding, according to sources.

All questions on the cross-border situation and the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed, can be asked during the Monsoon Session in July, government sources say. 

Days after the flare-up that saw Pakistan aiming missiles at Indian targets and India strongly countering every attack, the situation along the border is calm. The ceasefire has been extended to May 18 as both sides continue talks.

A day after the ceasefire was first announced on May 10, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to call a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor and the ceasefire.

“Dear Prime Minister, I reiterate the unanimous request of the Opposition to convene a special session of Parliament immediately. It is crucial for the people and their representatives to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and today’s ceasefire, first announced by US President Trump,” Mr Gandhi wrote.

Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress chief and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, also wrote to the Prime Minister, echoing the request. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh wrote in a letter, “Hon’ble Prime Minister, at this moment, when unity and solidarity are essential, (the) Opposition believes that it is important to convene a special session of both houses of Parliament at the earliest. This will be a powerful demonstration of our collective resolve and will to deal with the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on innocent citizens on 22 April 2025.”

Slamming the Congress and other Opposition parties, the BJP on Wednesday asserted that Operation Sindoor is still going on and has only been paused, and asked them to refrain from raising “unnecessary and unwanted” questions on the issue. “Let the Operation Sindoor conclude, then say anything you want or demand convening a (special) Parliament session,” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Opposition demands.

Soon after the Pahalgam attack and India’s Operation Sindoor to avenge the killings, in which nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were struck, the government had called all-party meetings where the Opposition had expressed complete support to the Centre and armed forces in the fight against terror. The Prime Minister had not attended either meeting.

The Budget Session of the Parliament, which started on January 31, ended on April 4. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to meet for the Monsoon Session in July.

India has repeatedly slammed Pakistan for failing to act against terrorists infrastructure on its soil.

Pakistan must shut down terrorist organisations to avoid further sharp confrontations with India, as the Pahalgam terror attack had brought the country to the brink of war, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has said. 

A senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, Mr Haqqani asserted that Pakistan has a well-equipped military but questioned the need for the presence of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sipah-e-Mohammed – all terror organisations – and the Difa-e-Watan Council, which reports suggest is an alliance known for hosting extremist ideologies. 

“A terrorist attack in Pahalgam led India and Pakistan to the brink of total war. To avoid that in future, it is important to shut down Jihadi groups,” he said in a post on X on Wednesday. “With well equipped armed forces, why does the country need Lashkar, Sipah, Jaish, & their Difa-e-Watan Council?” he added.

India has repeatedly slammed Pakistan for failing to act against terrorists infrastructure on its soil.

On the intervening night of May 7 and 8, India launched Operation Sindoor and destroyed infrastructure in nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the April 22 in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists. The attack was one of the deadliest strikes in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike. The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based LeT terror group, claimed responsibility.

Operation Sindoor, however, escalated bilateral tensions as it led to strikes and counter-strikes between the two nations. The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian side.

On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an agreement to stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea, with effect from 5pm. Pakistan, however, violated the agreement within hours of it coming into effect. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, in his first address to the nation ever since the conflict erupted, said operations against Pakistan have only been kept in abeyance and the future will depend on their behaviour. 

On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India’s relations and dealings with Pakistan will be strictly “bilateral”, which is a national consensus for many years and there is “absolutely no change” in that consensus.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said Pakistan has started rebuilding terror infrastructure that was destroyed by the Indian forces in the strikes. He said Operation Sindoor proved that the Indian forces are capable of reaching every corner of Pakistan.

He also said that India would like the International Monetary Fund to reconsider its assistance of USD 1 billion to Pakistan.

The Indian Army shared fresh visuals of military action carried out under Operation Sindoor, calling it justice for the Pahalgam attack.

The Indian Army shared fresh visuals of military action carried out under Operation Sindoor, calling it justice and not revenge for the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed.

The video shared on the Army’s Western Command X handle showed military firing and shelling on Pakistani territory as part of the strikes on May 7 and later. A soldier can be heard saying, “This (Operation Sindoor) started with the Pahalgam attack. It is not anger but a resolve to teach a lesson that will be remembered in the future. It is justice, not revenge.”

As cross-border tensions continued after May 7 Operation Sindoor, in which nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were struck, a ceasefire was reached between the two countries on May 10. New Delhi said trade with Pakistan and the Indus Water Treaty would continue to remain in abeyance.

This comes on a day the Indian Army said no meeting of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan was scheduled for Sunday, adding that the ceasefire between the two countries continues. A defence ministry statement said, “Some media houses are reporting that the Ceasefire between India and Pakistan is ending today. In addition, queries are also being received if a DGMO-level talk is scheduled today? The response is as under:- No DGMO talks are scheduled today. As far as continuation of a break in hostilities, as decided in DGMOs interaction of 12 May is concerned, there is no expiry date to it.”

The Centre also announced a list of fifty-one political leaders, parliamentarians and former ministers from various political parties who will be part of the seven delegations travelling to world capitals to put across India’s resolve to tackle terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. The delegations led by Baijayant Panda, Ravi Shankar Prasad (both BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (DMK) and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP) will visit a total of 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

Each delegation comprises seven or eight political leaders and is assisted by former diplomats. Of the 51 political leaders, 31 are part of the ruling NDA, while the remaining 20 are from the non-NDA parties.

Pakistan Prime too announced similar visits by a high-level delegation from his country to several countries. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he has entrusted the leadership of the delegation to Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “I was contacted earlier today by Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif), who requested that I lead a delegation to present Pakistan’s case for peace on the international stage. I am honoured to accept this responsibility and remain committed to serving Pakistan in these challenging times,” Mr Zardari wrote on X on Saturday.

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