Army Confirms Killing of Over 100 Terrorists, Including Pulwama Attackers and IC-814 Hijackers

Operation Sindoor: The Indian Army on Sunday confirmed that over 100 terrorists were killed in precision strikes carried out as part of Operation Sindoor, including key figures involved in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2019 Pulwama attack. The military operation targeted nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the recent Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

High-Value Targets Eliminated

Among those killed in the strikes were high-ranking terrorists Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed. “These strikes across nine terror hubs resulted in the elimination of more than 100 terrorists, including high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed,” said Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, in media briefing.

Yusuf Azhar, a key Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative and brother-in-law of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, was one of the masterminds behind the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814. 

The 1999 hijacking had resulted in the release of Masood Azhar from Indian custody. Yusuf Azhar was reportedly involved in weapons training and orchestration of terror activities across Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdul Malik Rauf, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, was designated as a global terrorist by the United States. Mudasir Ahmed, another senior Lashkar operative, was in charge of the Markaz Taiba headquarters in Muridke, a well-known terror training facility.

Objectives of Operation Sindoor

Lt Gen Ghai stated that Operation Sindoor was conducted with a focused military goal: “The operation had a clear military aim to punish the perpetrators and planners of terror and to destroy their infrastructure.” 

He reaffirmed India’s commitment to counter-terrorism, emphasizing the country’s “intolerance to terror in any form.”

Selection of Targets

The selection of targets was based on detailed intelligence and strategic significance. "Places such as Muridke, the hub of Lashkar-e-Taiba, have bred infamous terrorists like Ajmal Kasab and David Headley,” Lt Gen Ghai noted.

Precision Air Strikes Deep Inside Pakistan

Air Marshal AK Bharti, who also addressed the media, detailed the role of the Indian Air Force in the operation. “The IAF was tasked with engaging terrorist training camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke, located deep inside Pakistani territory,” he said. “After extensive analysis, we conducted precision strikes using air-to-surface guided munitions to ensure maximum impact and minimal collateral damage.”

Retaliation for Pahalgam Attack

The strikes came in direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack, where Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a retaliatory step aimed at dismantling the operational infrastructure of terror groups based in Pakistan and PoK.