NEW DELHI: A loud explosion was heard in Paksitan’s Lahore on Thursday, a day after Indian Army conducted airstrikes at multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, news agency Reuters reported.Meanwhile, Pakistan Airports Authority has temporarily suspended flight operations at airports in Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot.According to PAA, the airports in Lahore and Sialkot will remain unavailable for all flights until 12 pm on Thursday. The flight schedules of both domestic and international flights have been impacted due to the suspension, Aaj News reported. Passengers have been asked to contact their respective airlines to get updates regarding their flight timings and possible delays.This follows the Indian Army’s targeted strikes that eliminated nine terrorist bases linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen under ‘Operation Sindoor’ across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.As part of the coordinated action, the Indian Air Force conducted precision strikes on four locations within Pakistan, while five sites were targeted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The defence ministry said that the operation was “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” intentionally avoiding any Pakistani military installations.‘Operation Sindoor’ was a tri-service mission, executed jointly by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. According to the defence ministry, the mission aimed solely at dismantling terror infrastructure and posed no threat to Pakistan’s military assets.The action came in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir which left 26 people dead. The government asserted its right to act against cross-border terrorism and neutralize threats.At a press briefing, foreign secretary Vikram Misri stated that the Pahalgam attack had clearly exposed Pakistan’s connections with terrorist groups.“As you all know, on April 22, a Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorist associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba launched a barbaric attack on tourists in Pahalgam. Twenty-five Indians and one Nepali citizen were cowardly murdered. This is the most serious incident since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, especially given that civilians were directly targeted,” Misri said.
