Three people died due to a Hantavirus infection aboard the 'MV Hondius'—a luxury cruise ship operated by a Dutch company in the Atlantic Ocean. (Image X @Defencecore)
New Delhi: On Thursday, India reiterated its right to defend itself against Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorist activities and pledged to strengthen the global fight against terrorism. This strong message from New Delhi came on the occasion of the first anniversary of 'Operation Sindoor.' Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "Today, we mark the first anniversary of 'Operation Sindoor.' The entire world witnessed the true nature of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. We delivered a befitting response to Pakistan for promoting cross-border terrorism."
Speaking at his weekly media briefing, he added, "The entire world is aware that cross-border terrorism has long served as a tool of Pakistan's state policy. As India, we possess every right to defend ourselves against terrorism." Jaiswal affirmed that India would continue to work towards bolstering the global battle against terrorism.
In retaliation to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 last year. Under this operation, airstrikes were conducted against nine terrorist hideouts across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, resulting in the elimination of at least 100 terrorists.
Tensions escalated rapidly following these strikes, prompting Pakistan to launch retaliatory attacks. However, the Indian Army successfully thwarted most of these counter-attacks. The standoff eventually concluded on May 10, following hotline discussions between military officials from both sides, which led to a mutual agreement to cease military operations.
Earlier, the Indian Army had stated that the terrorist bases dismantled in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during 'Operation Sindoor' are now being relocated to Pakistan's interior regions; however, they must clearly understand that no matter where they choose to hide, they are not safe. Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai (Director General of Military Operations for the Army), Air Marshal Avdhesh Kumar Bharti (Director General of Air Operations), and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod (Director General of Naval Operations)—all of whom served in these capacities during Operation Sindoor—presented the Armed Forces' perspective on the developments of the past year here on Thursday, marking the first anniversary of one of the most successful and widely discussed campaigns in India's military history.
Lieutenant General Ghai stated that, during this operation, nine terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were completely destroyed. He added, "We have received intelligence that terrorist camps are being re-established in those areas. The number of these terrorist camps, as well as the number of terrorists present within them, fluctuates from time to time." He further noted that, in light of the fact that India struck targets up to 300 kilometers deep inside Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, some terrorist camps are now being relocated to interior regions for security reasons.
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