Operation Sindoor: A timeline of India-Pak tensions from Pahalgam attack to Modi-Trump call

A day after Pakistan’s most powerful person, its Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, met US President Donald Trump over lunch at the White House in Washington, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on June 20 that it was his country that had requested India for the ceasefire after terror camps and military sites were hit in Pakistani as retributions for the terror attack in Pahalgam in April that had killed 26 persons.

On Saturday, addressing troops at the Army’s Northern Command in Udhampur, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan that any future terror attack on Indian soil will have serious consequences as Operation Sindoor is not over yet and India is ready to take any action against terrorism.

Operation Sindoor is the code-name under which Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes at several places deep inside Pakistan in the first week of May. Debates and discussions on the conduct of the operation, its impact, damages and geostrategic fallout continue in the national and international forums.

Observers of international affairs believe that the Pahalgam killings and Operation Sindoor would have come up for discussions between Trump and Munir, though no official details about the meeting have been released by either side. Since the ceasefire on May 10 both sides have been projecting their own narratives of the conflict on the world stage.

Here’s a timeline of what happened from the day the bullets were aimed at innocents nearly two months ago to Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to president Trump two days ago and discussing Operation Sindoor and its aftermath —

April 22: In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Kashmir in recent years, 26 Hindu males were shot at Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Kashmir, by terrorists said to be backed by Pakistan. India vows retribution for the attack.

April 23: India downgrades diplomatic ties with Pakistan, suspends the Indus Waters (IWT) Treaty and closes the Attari-Wagah border. A massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the attack is launched. Pakistan denies any role in the attack and warned that steps like the suspension of IWT would be considered as an act of war.

April 24: In a tit-for-tat move, both countries cancel visas and order the evacuation of each other’s citizens. Pakistan shuts down its airspace for Indian-registered aircraft and indulges in high-pitch war rhetoric with veiled threats of using nuclear weapons.

April 25: Pakistan suspends the post-1971 war Simla Agreements and begins regular ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC). The United Nations and western countries, including the US, urge both sides to de-escalate and exercise restraint.

April 26: As tensions mount, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vows a “full-force” response if India attempts to divert water from rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir. Donald Trump and Iran offer to mediate between the two neighbours.

April 30: Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire for the fifth consecutive night, targeting civilian areas along the LoC. Pakistan’s Information Minister claims of evidence that India is planning a military strike within 24 to 36 hours. PM Modi meets the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs and gives them a free hand.

May 1: US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, speaks to External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, and the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, as well as to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif. Jaishankar reportedly informs him of India’s intent to strike. US State Department spokesperson says Rubio expresses sorrow over the killings in Pahalgam and reaffirms the US’s commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism.

May 3: Pakistan test-fires a ballistic missile. India cuts off all mail and trade routes with Pakistan, bans Pakistani vessels from Indian ports and prohibits its own ships from entering Pakistani waters.

May 7: India launches Operation Sindoor, conducting precision strikes on nine terror camps belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Ministry of Defence says civilian and military structures were deliberately avoided and only terror sites were hit.

May 8: US diplomatic efforts to ease the situation intensify. Despite India’s warning of further action in case of any Pakistani retaliation, Islamabad launches drone and missile strikes on 26 locations across the entire western theatre. India retaliates by destroying Pakistan’s air defence radar systems.

May 9: Rubio holds back-to-back calls with both sides with India reiterating that it would not accept mediation and would escalate if provoked. Civilian life in both countries gets affected with India suspending the IPL and Pakistan postponing its domestic cricket league. Schools were shut in multiple states, blackouts enforced and missile and drone sightings were reported at many places in India. US Vice President, JD Vance, says a potential war between India and Pakistan is none of US’ business, while the G7 calls for “maximum restraint”.

May 10: After Pakistan targets Indian air stations, India launches precision attacks at strategic Pakistani air bases, inflicting damage at Nur Khan, Murid, Rafiqui and Sargodha, as well as the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes are thwarted by Indian air defence systems. Amid widespread panic, Vance speaks to Prime Minister Modi, who reportedly rejects mediation and says that India will hit harder if Pakistan does not stop. The same day Rubio informs Jaishankar that Pakistan was willing to halt hostilities. The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both countries coordinate a mutual understanding to stop firing at 5 pm local time. Getting a whiff of the ceasefire, Trump prematurely announces it on social media and takes credit for it. Islamabad thanks Trump for the intervention but New Delhi did not acknowledge any US role. However, the same night Pakistan violates the understanding within hours, prompting Indian forces to respond appropriately.

May 11: After a brief period of cross-border shelling and Pakistani drone activity, the night passes without incident along the western borders. India and Pakistan announce that their DGMOs will speak on May 12 to further solidify the terms of what New Delhi insists is not a formal ceasefire.

May 12: For the first time in days, no drones or missiles are launched across the border. Indian forces continue to remain on high alert.

May 14: Satellite images from western and Chinese space companies emerge showing damages to Pakistani airbases and military installations.

May 20: Pakistan’s army Chief Asim Munir is elevated to the rank of Field Marshal, ostensibly for his leadership during the limited four-day conflict, a move that is said to be rooted in Pakistan’s internal power dynamics rather than operational role.

May 21: India begins sending multi-party political delegations to 33 countries to convey the point that on terrorism India stood united in its position that terrorism fomented by Pakistan would not be tolerated and would be met with a military response.

May 22: Reports based on open source intelligence and analysis by defence experts point to heavy Pakistani losses that include at least six fighter jets, including the US F-16 and Chinese JF-17, two high-value aircrafts like AWACS and mid-air refueller, one C-130 transport aircraft and multiple combat drones and cruise missiles, besides command centres and air defence sites. Numerous Pakistani service personnel are also killed.

May 26: Fresh foreign satellite images show extensive damage to critical Pakistani airbases like Nur Khan near its capital city of Islamabad. Despite tall claims by Pakistan, no satellite picture or other credible evidence of damage to any Indian installation has emerged so far.

June 3: A Pakistani dossier on Operation Sindoor reveals that India struck more targets than it officially acknowledged. The dossier on Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos says India struck at least seven more targets far deeper in Pakistan than what was stated in official briefings.

June 18: Prime Minister Modi, while he was in Canada for G7 Summit, and Trump who left early, speak on the phone following a request from the White House. Operation Sindoor figures in the 35-minute call where Modi again rejects Trump’s claim that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan and tells him India will respond to Pakistan’s bullet with a bullet. Modi says that terrorism is now seen as a war and not a proxy war and that Operation Sindoor has not concluded. Meanwhile, Munir calls for the award of Nobel Peace Prize to Trump for his purported role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire, gets hosted for lunch at the White House along with the ISI head during a five-day visit to the US.