IC-814 Hijackers, Pulwama Plotters Killed in Operation Sindoor
In a major development under Operation Sindoor, India has announced the elimination of over 100 terrorists in a series of precision strikes conducted across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was launched in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 Indian civilians.
In a joint press briefing held on Sunday, senior defence officials confirmed that the targets included high-value individuals long sought by Indian security agencies for their roles in some of the most heinous terror attacks in recent history. These include operatives involved in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
“Those strikes across those nine terror hubs left more than 100 terrorists killed, including high value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed that were involved in the hijack of IC814 and the Pulwama blast,” said Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO).
Precision Strikes on Terror Infrastructure
The Indian Army conducted a coordinated aerial and ground assault on nine identified terror launchpads spread across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. These locations were reportedly being used by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives for infiltration training and operational planning.
Operation Sindoor was initiated in the early hours of May 7 and was executed in tightly coordinated phases, leveraging satellite intelligence and drone surveillance. The strikes were planned with high accuracy to ensure only militant targets were neutralized, avoiding civilian areas.
Long-Awaited Justice for Victims
The inclusion of Yusuf Azhar—a key conspirator in the IC-814 hijacking—and Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed, linked to the Pulwama suicide attack, among the neutralized targets marks a significant moment in India’s counterterror campaign. These names had long featured on India’s most wanted lists and had taken shelter under the protection of Pakistan’s deep state apparatus.
Operation Sindoor: Strategic Impact Deepens
The successful elimination of these figures has not only avenged past attacks but also disrupted active terror modules that were planning future assaults on Indian soil. Defence sources suggest that Pakistan’s terror infrastructure has suffered its most significant setback in years, both in terms of human assets and morale.
With India making it clear that it will strike hard and deep in response to terrorism, Operation Sindoor has emerged as a defining marker in New Delhi’s evolving military doctrine—moving away from defensive containment to pre-emptive precision.
