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How India precisely tracked terrorist hideouts in Pakistan, PoK
People shout slogans as they celebrate in Ahmedabad, Wednesday, May 7, 2025 after India fired missiles into Pakistan and PoK early Wednesday. AP
India-Pakistan tensions are at an all-time high. The Indian armed forces retaliated against the Pahalgam terror attack by launching missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on early Wednesday (May 7).
Dubbed Operation Sindoor, India targeted 21 terror camps and training facilities across nine locations in Pakistan and PoK. The strikes were 'focused, measured, and non-escalatory", ensuring that no military facilities were hit, the government said.
But how did India plan such precise strikes while 'avoiding unnecessary provocation', as the Ministry of Defence said?
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We will explain.
How Operation Sindoor was planned
After Pakistan-linked terrorists killed 26 men, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to 'identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers.'
Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK where attacks against India were planned, avenged the Pahalgam massacre as well as other previous terror attacks that shocked the country. Two of the hit targets included the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) Markaz Taiba in Muridke.
It was National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his team who planned the precise strikes against Pakistan and PoK under the Sindoor operation.
He led a special team that was tasked with collecting vital intelligence on terrorist activities in Pakistan and PoK, as per a News18 report.
The team identified and monitored new terrorist hideouts to accurately locate every target. These sites were surveilled around the clock, especially the movements or any changes in the terror camps.
After drawing up an extensive attack plan, NSA Doval shared the details with PM Modi. It was agreed during their discussions that only terrorist hideouts would be hit, ensuring minimal collateral damage, reported News18.
NSA Doval then met his team to fine-tune the strategy as per the PM's orders. The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) was charged with gathering final intelligence required for the operation's success.
After charting the plan, Doval met PM Modi, who gave his approval. Only selected people were briefed on Operation Sindoor. Later, a control room, under NSA Doval's command, was set up.
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A satellite image shows Markaz Taiba following airstrikes in Muridke, Pakistan, May 7, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters
And then between 1.05 am and 1.30 am on Wednesday, the Indian armed forces pulled off Operation Sindoor. At least 100 terrorists were killed in Pakistan and PoK, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told an all-party meeting today.
What is NTRO?
The NTRO is India's technical intelligence wing, which reports to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the National Security Council headed by NSA Ajit Doval.
The agency was formed in 2004 in the wake of the 1999 Kargil War. In 2017, the NTRO was put under The Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985.
This meant the agency's employees would have the same 'norms of conduct' as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), resricting the freedom of employees.
As per an article in the Raksha-Anirveda magazine, the NTRO is responsible for intercepting and examining communications signals, imagery intelligence, and cyber intelligence. It also provides technical assistance to intelligence agencies like the IB and R&AW.
The agency also maintains a database of information concerning technology and develops advanced tools for intelligence gathering, along with conducting scientific and technical
research and development.
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The NTRO also provides geospatial intelligence and imagery analysis. It works closely with other agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Indian Space Research Organisation, the National Informatics Centre, and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre, according to the Raksha-Anirveda article.
The piece also noted that the NTRO played a key role by providing intelligence inputs during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Uri attack, the Balakot airstrike, and the Galwan Valley clash. The agency has helped in detecting and foiling cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in India.
With inputs from agencies
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