Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 : Tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Wednesday hailed the Indian Armed Forces over Operation Sindoor, which struck nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
In an emotional response, a tourist from Mumbai told ANI, "I salute those who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack, but I have faith in the Indian armed forces. I know that whatever they need to do, they will do it - I have full faith in those who are running the country."
Another tourist said, "We are visiting Pahalgam fearlessly as the Indian Army is with us. Another operation should be carried out to finish them (terrorists)."
Meanwhile, the Mother of Manjunath Rao, a victim from Karnataka who lost his life in the Pahalgam terror attack, expressed her approval of the Union Government's Operation Sindoor, calling it an appropriately named response to the tragedy.
She voiced her confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
"We were hopeful that PM Modi would take good action. Operation Sindoor is an appropriate name for the operation," said Manjunath Rao's mother.
Earlier today, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who briefed the media along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Col Sofiya Qureshi, said that 'Operation Sindoor' was launched to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families.
Singh informed that a total of nine terror sites were targeted and successfully destroyed. She asserted that the locations were selected to prevent damage to civilians and their infrastructure.
"The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families. Nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed... The locations were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructures and loss of any civilian lives," she said.
Meanwhile, during the press briefing, Col Sofiya Qureshi presented the videos of the destruction of terror camps, including from the Muridke, where David Headley and Ajmal Kasab, perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, received training. Other than Muridke, Sarjal camp in Sialkot, Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala and Markaz Abbas, Kotli and Mehmoona Joya camp, Sialkot were targeted in the strikes conducted by the Indian Army, Col Qureshi informed.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the attack on Pahalgam was driven by an objective of undermining the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The attack in Pahalgam was marked with extreme barbarity, with the victims mostly killed with head shots at close range and in front of their family...the family members were deliberately traumatised through the manner of killing, accompanied by the exhortation that they should take back the message. The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining normalcy returning to Kashmir," he said.