Pakistan PM Calls India's Operation Sindoor 'Act of War', 26 Killed

India launched Operation Sindoor, conducting missile and air strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, justified the operation as a measured, proportionate act of self-defense after Pakistan allegedly failed to act against groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front, which India holds responsible for the attack. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes as an 'act of war,' and the Pakistani military was authorized to retaliate at a time of its choosing, citing the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The strikes reportedly resulted in significant casualties, including relatives of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, and targeted major terror camps. India simultaneously imposed diplomatic and economic measures against Pakistan, such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari border crossing. While India maintains its response was limited to terror targets and not escalatory, the situation has led to heightened tensions and international calls for restraint.