‘Terrorist Infrastructure’ in Pakistan, PoK Targeted, Says Indian Army; Pak Says It 'Downed' Indian Aircraft

New Delhi: India targeted nine locations housing “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early Wednesday (May 7) morning, two weeks after a terror attack in Kashmir left 26 civilians dead.

In a statement released by the defence ministry at 1:44 am, the government said that “a little while ago”, Indian armed forces struck “terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed”.

Dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor’, the statement said that nine specific sites had been selected for the operation.

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” the statement said.

In a similar but separate statement, the spokesperson of the defence ministry tweeted:

"India has launched #OperationSindoor, a precise and restrained response to the barbaric #PahalgamTerrorAttack that claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali citizen. Focused strikes were carried out on nine #terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting the roots of cross-border terror planning. Importantly, no Pakistani military facilities were hit, reflecting India’s calibrated and non-escalatory approach. This operation underscores India’s resolve to hold perpetrators accountable while avoiding unnecessary provocation. A detailed briefing on the operation will follow later today."

Neither of the two Indian statements identified the sites targeted or the mode of attack, presumed to be missiles. "Justice is Served. Jai Hind!", the Indian Army's X handle posted at 1:51 am, again adding no details:

Tweet posted by the Indian Army, May 7, 2025

Reacting to the Indian attacks soon after they occured, Pakistan’s military spokesperson told ARY News that the country would “respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing”.

Addressing a press conference at 04:38 AM IST, Inter-Services Public Relations director general Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry asserted that India had targeted six sites with a total of "24 impacts", killing eight Pakistanis, including a child, and injuring 35 others. Dawn quoted him as providing the following details of the sites targeted:

“In [Bahwalpur’s] Ahmedpur East, Subhan[allah] mosque was targeted,” he added. “Here, there were four strikes and five innocent Pakistanis were killed, including a three-year-old girl. Thirty-one civilians have been injured, including 25 men and six women.”

"He said one mosque was destroyed, while four quarters in which people were living were also destroyed.

“In Muzaffarabad, Bilal mosque was targeted. There were seven impacts, in which one girl has been injured and a mosque was destroyed,” the DG ISPR said.

“In Kotli, Abbat mosque was targeted. There were five impacts and two people were killed, including a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy. A woman and her daughter are both injured,” DG Chaudhry added.

“In Muridke, Umalkura mosque was targeted and there were four strikes. One man has been killed, while another is injured. Two people are missing,” he said. “A mosque has been destroyed and potters have sustained economic damages,” DG Chaudhry added.

“In Sialkot district, in the village of Kotki Lohara, there were two strikes,” he added. “One missile misfired, while one fell in an open field. There was no damage.”

“Near Shakargarh, there were two strikes with no damage. There was minor damage to a dispensary,” he added."

“All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India’s airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan,” Chaudhry said.

Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif told ARY News that civilians were targeted. “The attacks were carried out on civilian areas,” he said.

While it is not clear what targets India had selected at Muzzafarabad, Sialokot, Kotli and Shakargarh, Muridke is the headquarters of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorist group headed by Hafiz Saeeed while Bahawalpur is the hometown of Masood Azhar, whose Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group is believed to be headquartered there.

Undated satellite image of Masjdi-e-Subhanallah, headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur. Source: Google Maps

India said the operation was carried out in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the highest civilian toll since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the defence ministry said.

Claim of aircraft shot down

DG ISPR Chaudhury also claimed that the Pakistani air force had shot down two Indian aircraft, giving the locations of Bhatinda and Akhnoor. PTV, the Pakistani state broadcaster has reported that three Indian aircraft were downed but offered no details.  Video footage on social media from Pampore in Kashmir suggests an aircraft has crashed there but there is no information as yet on what aircraft it is. Similarly, there are reports from Akhnoor near Jammu of an unidentified aircraft crashing. Social media posts by local residents on the Indian side suggest the planes brought down were Pakistani fighters. As of now, the Indian defence ministry has said nothing about this.

'Attacks launched from India'

The Indian news agency ANI, quoting sources, reported that 'recision strike weapon systems of the three forces, the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, were used in the attacks, including the loitering munitions. "The coordinates for the attacks on terrorist camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were provided by the intelligence agencies. The attacks were carried out from Indian soil only."

Trump reacts

In response to a question from a reporter, US President Donald Trump said, "It's a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval... I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They've been fighting for many, many decades. And centuries, actually, if you think about it. I hope it ends very quickly."

Pakistan foreign ministry statement

Early on the morning of May 7th, the Pakistani foreign ministry issued a statement condemning what it said was "India's blatant aggression".

"In an unprovoked and blatant act of war, the Indian Air Force, while remaining within Indian airspace, has violated Pakistan’s sovereignty using standoff weapons, targeting civilian population across [the] international border in Muridke and Bahawalpur, and across [the] Line of Control in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

The attack has led to the death of civilians, "including women and children", and "also caused grave threat to commercial air traffic," it added.

Calling India's attack " a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of inter-state relations," the foreign ministry said Pakistan "reserves the right to respond appropriately at a time and place of its choosing, in accordance with the Article-51 of the UN Charter, and as enshrined in international law."

This is a developing story.