Foreign Secretary Briefs UNSC: Calls Pahalgam Attack a Serious Escalation, Justifies 'Operation Sindoor'

New Delhi:In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians on April 22, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed representatives of 13 United Nations Security Council (UNSC) member states on India’s response, 'Operation Sindoor', emphasizing that the Indian airstrikes were "targeted, measured, and non-escalatory."Misri stated that the Pahalgam attack marked a significant escalation, referring to it as an act of "barbaric terror", and asserted that India’s retaliation was confined to terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The Indian Army carried out precision airstrikes targeting nine confirmed terrorist training and launch sites, he added.According to diplomatic sources, Misri told the envoys that the The Resistance Front (TRF) — a known proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later retracted, suggesting deliberate attempts to obscure the perpetrators’ identity. He also revealed that Pakistan had attempted to push for a UNSC statement, raising suspicions of a coordinated narrative.Misri stressed that India had avoided targeting any civilian or military infrastructure and focused solely on verified terror sites. In contrast, he alleged, Pakistan had been shelling civilian areas in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.Regarding potential Pakistani retaliation, Misri stated that India would respond proportionately, especially if civilian targets were hit. He emphasized that the complexes destroyed included training camps disguised as madrassas, mosques, dormitories, and playgrounds, which had long served as launchpads for cross-border terrorism.He noted that India’s diplomatic mission in the United States is actively engaging with UNSC members to explain the rationale behind its actions and to prevent any international misinterpretation.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the Pahalgam attack, had promised "punishment beyond imagination" for the perpetrators and granted full operational freedom to Indian forces. Operation Sindoor, launched early Wednesday, is being seen as a direct fulfillment of that promise.