On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday, 7 May paid tribute to the country's armed forces, reaffirming the Centre's commitment to dismantling terror networks and securing a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir. The anniversary marks one year since India launched precision strikes on terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025.

L-G Sinha's Tribute to the Armed Forces

In an official statement, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said: "As we mark the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, we bow in reverence to the men and women in uniform whose unwavering resolve and extraordinary courage, delivered a fitting response to the enemy who targeted innocent civilians at Pahalgam."

He further stated: "Operation Sindoor is a declaration etched in resolve that our brave armed forces are committed to protect country's sovereignty and integrity at any cost. It is testament of India's firm resolve and we are committed to dismantling the terror network and securing a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir."

The Pahalgam Attack That Triggered Operation Sindoor

The operation was launched in direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025, when Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists killed 26 innocent civilians — including 25 tourists and a local pony owner — in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. The massacre prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give the armed forces a free hand to respond decisively.

Indian forces subsequently carried out strikes on terror infrastructure at Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad in PoK — targeting the operational heartland of groups responsible for repeated cross-border attacks on Indian soil.

Pakistan's Escalation and India's Counter-Response

Following India's strikes, Pakistan escalated tensions by attacking military and civilian facilities across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Cross-border shelling by Pakistan killed 14 civilians, including a senior civil servant, in Poonch district. A mosque, a temple, a gurdwara, and a church were also reportedly destroyed in the shelling — an indiscriminate assault that drew sharp condemnation.

India responded by striking 18 Pakistani defence installations, causing significant damage. In a further strategic move, India threw the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 into abeyance and blocked water flowing to Pakistan from rivers allocated under the treaty — a significant diplomatic and economic signal.

Current Status of Operation Sindoor

Notably, Operation Sindoor has not been formally called off; it has been halted for the present, according to official sources. The distinction is significant — it signals that India retains the option to resume operations should the security situation demand it. The operation remains a defining moment in India's counter-terror posture, representing one of the most assertive military responses in recent decades.

As the anniversary is observed across the country, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir continue heightened vigilance along the LoC and within the Union Territory, with the administration reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.