India has vowed to keep up its fight against terrorism, a year after a tense military stand-off with Pakistan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the “unparalleled courage, precision, and resolve” of the armed forces in Operation Sindoor.
The three-day military operation was launched on May 7 in response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory, that killed 26 civilians on April 22. New Delhi said it targeted military facilities and terrorist bases in Pakistan.
Islamabad has denied having any involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
“They [armed forces] gave a fitting response to those who dared to attack innocent Indians at Pahalgam,” Modi said in a post on X. “Today, a year later, we remain as steadfast as ever in our resolve to defeat terrorism and destroy its enabling ecosystem.”
Modi also stressed the importance of India’s quest for self-reliance through the ‘Make In India’ program in the defense sector.
Interior Minister Amit Shah lauded the operation as “an epochal mission of India.”
The Pakistani leadership also commented on the anniversary of the military escalation with India, which Islamabad refers to as Marka-i-Haq (battle of truth).
“The events of last year also remind us that lasting peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without addressing the core issues,” Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said, stressing its diplomatic outreach and calling for a resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan reinforced its position on bilateral and global platforms, he said, citing its “lawful and restrained response.”
The two nuclear-armed nations reached a ceasefire on May 10. Shortly before New Delhi and Islamabad officially announced the truce, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the two nations had agreed to immediately cease the hostilities “after a long night of talks mediated by the United States.”
Trump and other US officials repeated the claim on a number of occasions, though New Delhi has dismissed it, maintaining that the ceasefire “was agreed between the military commanders of both sides through direct contact.”
Both India and Pakistan embarked on a diplomatic outreach to the global community after the military standoff.