In Nepal and Indian Hindu communities, the sindoor is a visual marker of marital status of a woman and ceasing to wear it usually implies widowhood. The operation is named after justice for the 26 widows, victims of the terrorist attack.

May 6, 2025, with official confirmation from the Indian Ministry of Defence at 1:44 AM on May 7. According to official statements, the operation aimed to strike terrorist infrastructure responsible for cross-border planning and attacks, particularly the Pahalgam incident.

Described as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” the operation deliberately avoided civilian and conventional military targets. It focused instead on nine terror-linked sites.

The operation was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had earlier given the military “complete operational freedom” following a series of high-level security meetings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the military leadership.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said:

“A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in J&K from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.”

On April 22, 2025, militants launched a brutal assault in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, J&K, killing 26 Hindu tourists (25 Indians and 1 Nepali citizen) and a local Muslim pony ride operator. Described as the deadliest attack on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, it was initially claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). TRF later retracted the claim.

The incident significantly escalated bilateral tensions, leading India to expel the diplomats, suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, revoke visas, and seal border crossings.

Both nations reported Line of Control (LoC)violations on April 28 and May 2–3, intensifying fears of open conflict. Pakistan denied any involvement and called for a neutral investigation, while simultaneously warning that Indian aggression would be met with a “decisive” response.

Operation Sindoor continues a pattern of targeted Indian responses to terrorism emanating from the other territory. The 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrike serve as precedents, launched after the Uri and Pulwama attacks, respectively.