Terror targets chosen to ‘send across a message’

New Delhi, May 11

When India launched Operation Sindoor, the terror camps to be targeted were selected to convey a message that “terrorists will be hit at will and that too in their heartland”, sources in the government said.

The selected camps were all linked to Pakistan’s establishment and spread across Bahawalpur, Muridke and Muzaffarabad, the sources said. “These facilities have been training and launching terrorists for a long time. Bahawalpur is the headquarters of the Jaish-e- Mohammed. It is headed by Masood Azhar, who was released after the IC814 airplane hijack. After Azhar’s release and his landing in Kandahar, he was welcomed by ISI,” the sources said. The Jaish headquarters was hit the hardest and the targets were selected on the basis of their activity in India, they said. “India wanted to send across a clear message that it will not be pursuing small terror camps but terrorists in their dens,” the sources said. — TNS