'Operation Sindoor is an ongoing operation,' says Indian defense chief

NEW DELHI

The “Operation Sindoor" launched against Pakistan is “an ongoing operation,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told an all-party meeting.

Singh told the meeting that “it was an ongoing operation. That is why providing a briefing and presentation of each incident about the operation is not right,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said after Singh’s statement.

Rijiju said everyone congratulated the armed forces on Operation Sindoor, adding: "We will support the government and armed forces."

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan about the Indian defense chief's statement.

Singh’s meeting with Indian political parties came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with officials of various ministries and departments to review “national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination” in light of recent developments “concerning national security.”

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated this week after India announced “Operation Sindoor” late Tuesday night, saying it struck “terrorist infrastructure" at nine locations in Pakistan. Indian officials said New Delhi exercised its “right to respond and preempt as well as deter more such cross-border attacks.”

The Pakistani military said 31 people were killed in the Indian missile attacks and cross-border firing in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

According to Indian officials, 13 people and one Indian soldier were killed in cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) -- a de facto border that divides the disputed Himalayan region between the two archrivals -- in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors came in the wake of the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack, claiming there were cross-border links. Pakistan denied involvement and called for a neutral probe.

Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian aircraft and vowed to retaliate. There was no official response from New Delhi.

Pakistan's military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday said forces downed 25 Harop drones fired by India overnight, calling it a "serious provocation." He said a civilian was killed and four Pakistani soldiers were injured in the drone attacks.