100 terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor, says Defence Minister at all-party meet

New Delhi/Islamabad: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the all-party meeting on Thursday that at least 100 terrorists were killed in Indian strikes under Operation Sindoor, PTI reported.

Tensions escalated sharply on Wednesday as Pakistan vowed revenge “at a time, place and manner of its choosing” after India launched pre-dawn missile strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), killing 31 people. Dubbed Operation Sindoor, the Indian military action was a response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 26 people dead.

Meanwhile, a blast was heard in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Thursday morning, according to broadcaster Geo TV and a Reuters witness. There was no immediate word on the reason for the blast.

Pakistan's ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir have claimed lives of 13 civilians in Poonch sector, and injured a total of 59 people, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Out of the total injured, 44 were from Poonch.

Border areas brace for retaliation
As fears of escalation loomed, border areas in India braced for potential retaliation. Amritsar, near the international border, was plunged into darkness for a second time in one night after the district administration resumed a civil defence blackout drill at 1.30 am Thursday. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors and switch off all outdoor lighting.

In Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Pakistani troops fired shells and mortars on Indian civilian areas in Karnah for a second night in a row. There were no reported casualties, but residents had already moved to safer areas following the previous night’s shelling.

India also closed Kishangarh and Jodhpur airports until May 10, and Bikaner airport for the day. Rajasthan’s border districts including Sri Ganganagar, Barmer, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner were put on high alert. Schools were shut, exams cancelled, and the North Western Railway cancelled all staff holidays. A circular from the zone’s General Manager ordered all officers to return immediately.

Pakistan authorises armed forces
A late-night meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by all military chiefs, authorised the armed forces to respond to India’s “aggression”. The NSC said the strikes were a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and of international law.

"India has ignited an inferno in the region," said Pakistani military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, warning of a calibrated response. Addressing the nation on Wednesday night, PM Sharif accused India of committing a “blatant mistake” and said it would “have to pay the price”.

India described its targets as launchpads, recruitment hubs and training camps linked to banned outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), citing cross-border links to the Pahalgam massacre. Pakistan, however, called the strikes “unprovoked and an unlawful act of war,” claiming all targets were civilian.

Among the dead were 10 family members and four close aides of JeM chief Masood Azhar, killed in a strike on the group’s headquarters in Bahawalpur. In Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, Indian missiles destroyed a mosque-seminary building, killing three. Pakistan has rejected India’s claim that the mosque was a terrorist camp. Five civilians also died in cross-border shelling in PoK, Pakistan said.

While claiming five Indian fighter jets were shot down, Pakistan did not provide evidence. India dismissed the claim as “disinformation,” though sources in Kashmir said three Indian jets had crashed overnight, with pilots hospitalised. The Indian government did not confirm the crashes.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the operation was executed with “precision” and “sensitivity,” ensuring no civilian casualties. The missile strikes targeted key locations including Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Barnala and Sialkot.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the armed forces “complete operational freedom” in responding to the Pahalgam attack, and India has suspended key diplomatic and economic channels with Pakistan, including the Indus Waters Treaty and the Attari border crossing.

Pakistan shuts airspace
Pakistan shut down its airspace for eight hours, cancelling all commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports. The country formally lodged a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), accusing India of endangering civil aviation by conducting strikes while 57 aircraft—including flights from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and China—were in the air over Pakistani territory.

International calls for restraint
World leaders expressed grave concern. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both countries to exercise “maximum restraint”, while US President Donald Trump called for the hostilities to end “very quickly”. The UK, Russia and China also appealed for de-escalation, citing the risk of war between two nuclear-armed nations.