A Tragic Day in Baisaran Valley
The serene Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, was transformed into a scene of tragedy on April 22, 2025. This popular tourist destination, situated just 7 kilometres from Pahalgam town, is known as "Mini Switzerland" due to its breathtaking verdant meadows and pine-covered hills. However, it was transformed into a scene of horror. Five terrorists, outfitted with rifles such as M4 carbines and AK-47s, as well as grenades, advanced upon the valley. They primarily targeted Hindu tourists, killing 26 individuals. They moved with terrifying speed and precision, causing chaos, and escaped into the Pir Panjal mountains.
The responsibility was accepted by a group known as The Resistance Front (TRF), which serves as a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The defence forces asserted that the attack was retribution for India's 2019 decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status, which had granted the region some autonomy. The Indian intelligence services responded promptly by locating Pakistani cities such as Karachi and Muzaffarabad that were providing assistance to the attackers. They discovered evidence of training centres across the Line of Control (LoC), the volatile border that divides Indian and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) disclosed the outlines of three suspects, including two Pakistani nationals associated with LeT. The Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted a comprehensive search of the region, interrogating over 1,500 individuals.
The attack hit India hard. Kashmir’s tourism industry, a vital part of the local economy, collapsed almost overnight. Bookings were cancelled at hotels in well-known locations like Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonmarg, leaving hotel owners, guides, and shops to deal with losses totalling crores of rupees. People protested against the attack in the whole country condemning the attack conducted and sponsored by Pakistan. Similar attacks had occurred in Sonmarg on October 20, 2024, and Gulmarg on October 24, 2024, both of which were connected to Pakistan-based organisations like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The timing felt especially provocative, coming just weeks after Pakistan extradited Tahawwur Rana, a key figure in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and after a fiery speech by Pakistan’s Army chief, General Asim Munir, which India saw as a call to violence.
India Fights Back: Operation Sindoor
On the night of May 6-7, 2025, India responded with a bold mission called Operation Sindoor, named after the red vermilion mark that symbolises strength in Hindu culture. The operation hit nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). At 1:05 a.m., India fired 24 precise missiles over 25 minutes, destroying training camps, weapon stores, and command centres. The strikes were carefully planned and launched from Indian soil to avoid crossing borders.
The targets included:
Sawai Nala Camp, Muzaffarabad (PoJK): A LeT hub tied to the Pahalgam, Sonmarg, and Gulmarg attacks.
Syedna Bilal Camp, Muzaffarabad (PoJK): A JeM facility for explosives and jungle warfare training.
Gulpur Camp, Kotli (PoJK): A LeT base active in Rajouri and Poonch attacks.
Barnala Camp, Bhimber (PoJK): A training ground for weapons and explosives.
Abbas Camp, Kotli (PoJK): A LeT facility for fidayeen (suicide) squads.
Sarjal Camp, Sialkot (Pakistan): A LeT site linked to the killing of four Jammu and Kashmir police officers in March 2025.
Markaz Taiba, Muridke (Pakistan): LeT’s headquarters, notorious for its role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Markaz Subhanallah, Bahawalpur (Pakistan): A JeM recruitment and training centre.
Additional Sites: Command and radar facilities in Rafiqui, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, and Sukkur.
India’s military said the strikes killed about 100 terrorists, including some big names, without damaging civilian homes or Pakistan’s military bases. Pakistan, however, claimed two teenagers died in Kotli, though the evidence was unclear and disputed. The operation showed off India’s high-tech weapons, likely including BrahMos missiles, which are super-fast and accurate, though the government kept the details under wraps. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation, saying, “We won’t tolerate terrorism. If they attack with bullets, we’ll answer with something much stronger.”
Pakistan’s Response: Shelling and Drones
Pakistan retaliated strongly. Its forces targeted Indian towns such as Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Mendhar, and Akhnoor situated in Jammu and Kashmir with mortars and artillery between May 7 and May 10, 2025, over the Line of Control. They violated the truce for 13 days, killing 20 civilians—including three children—and wounding 59 more in Poonch. The assaults caused damage to a convent school, a Sikh gurdwara in Poonch, and residences. Aisha Noor, a two-year-old girl, and Raj Kumar Thapa, a senior JKAS officer in Rajouri, were among the fatalities who lost their lives in the bombardment.
Pakistan went further, sending drones and missiles to hit Indian cities like Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and even Amritsar. On May 8-9, Pakistani drones crossed into Indian airspace, but India’s hi-tech defence system was ready. The S-400 Sudarshan Chakra system, a top-notch air defence tool, shot down most of the drones and several missiles that were sent by Pakistan. Pieces of the downed drones were found in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat’s Kutch and Banaskantha areas. India also took out a Pakistani SAAB-2000 surveillance plane, a C-130J transport plane, two F-16 jets, a JF-17 jet, and some of Pakistan’s air defence systems, using advanced weapons like HARPY kamikaze drones.
India didn’t stop there. It struck back at Pakistani radar and command posts, killing an estimated 35-40 personnel. In the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy deployed submarines and ships, keeping Pakistan’s navy stuck near its own coast. This showed India’s ability to dominate on land, air, and sea.
The Impact on Pakistan
The dignity and defences of Pakistan were severely damaged by Operation Sindoor. The Pakistan Army was humiliated by the raids on important terrorist bases in PoJK, and it was criticised domestically for failing to halt India's targeted airstrikes. The loss of air defence systems, planes, and a spy plane demonstrated that Pakistan's military was unprepared for India's cutting-edge S-400 and BrahMos weaponry.
Pakistan’s economy, already in bad shape, took a bigger hit. Airports in Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot shut down, disrupting trade and travel. Damaged buildings and roads in PoJK cost a lot to repair. India’s threat to rethink the Indus Waters Treaty, which controls how the two countries share river water, scared farmers in Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh, who rely on that water for crops. On May 9, the IMF gave Pakistan a $1 billion bailout, but this actually was like funding Pakistan’s aggression. In cities like Karachi and Islamabad, people protested, angry at their military for failing to protect them and at their government for mishandling the crisis.
India’s Strength: Modern Weapons and Smart Planning
India’s success in Operation Sindoor came from years of building a strong, modern military. Some of the key tools included:
S-400 System: Stopped Pakistani drones and missiles with great accuracy.
HARPY Drones: Destroyed Pakistan’s defence systems.
BrahMos Missiles (likely): Fast and precise, they hit targets deep in Pakistan.
Planes and Ships: Rafale jets and naval ships showed India’s strength in the air and sea.
By launching strikes from its own territory, India avoided a bigger war while still hitting its targets hard. This “zero-intrusion” strategy showed how smart planning and high-tech weapons could work together.
The Aftermath
In India, people saw Operation Sindoor as a powerful stand against terrorism. Families, workers, and business leaders across the country cheered for the military, proud of the government’s strong response. They felt it showed India wouldn’t back down. But not everyone was fully satisfied. Some opposition leaders, like Bhupesh Baghel, asked why the attackers from the Baisaran Valley massacre in Pahalgam were still free. They wanted to know why those responsible for killing 26 people, including tourists and locals, hadn’t been caught.
In northern India, the fighting led to serious issues. Homes in areas like Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab were left without power. Travel was chaotic as 32 airports halted flights and schools closed. Carrying what little they could, thousands of people were forced to flee their homes for safety in border areas. Hotel owners, guides, and shops were concerned about their futures as Kashmir's tourism industry, which was already having trouble recovering after the attack, appeared to be in no way getting better.
The government of Pakistan struggled to calm the populace. The strikes infuriated many, and the world was intently observing and scrutinising Pakistan's conduct. India was incensed when some Pakistani officials attended terrorists' funerals. India cited this as evidence that Pakistan backs organisations like the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which were responsible for the Baisaran attack and other violent crimes. As a result, negotiations between the two nations were halted. India halted talks about sharing river water, which Pakistan needs for agricultural purposes, and Pakistan even threatened to revoke the 1972 peace agreement known as the Simla Agreement.
For years, India has accused Pakistan of helping terrorist groups that attack India, from the 2008 Mumbai attacks to the recent killing of 26 people in Baisaran Valley in April 2025. In places like Poonch and Rajouri, where families lost loved ones, including a two-year-old child named Aisha Noor, the violence has left severe scars. India claims that Pakistan shields terrorists in cities like Karachi and Muzaffarabad, feigning innocence while inflicting suffering. Pakistan continues to assist these organisations despite its faltering economy, which is seldom supported by IMF funding, harming its own citizens and creating instability in the area.
In contrast, India believes that it is battling for justice. People think the government retaliated against terrorists fairly and strongly to defend the nation and pay tribute to those who lost their lives. Operation Sindoor aimed to demonstrate that India would not allow terrorists to triumph and would defend justice and peace, not simply its military might.
India was devastated by the attack in the Baisaran Valley, but it was resolute. Operation Sindoor was started by the government to retaliate against the terrorist organisations LeT and JeM, which India claims receive backing from Pakistan. The strikes sent a strong message: India would not remain silent in the face of the deaths of innocent people. The leaders of Pakistan were criticised for their activities, including attending the funerals of terrorists. China and Turkey, among other nations, supported Pakistan clearly by supplying them the Defence system, which included the Drones and other Aircraft, but India believed they were ignoring the victims and condoning Pakistan's wrongdoings. India remained steadfast, claiming that regardless of what others may think, it must defend its citizens and stand up for what is right.
(This article was contributed by Sh. Mridull Thaplu)