New Delhi, May 8 -- India on Wednesday carried out precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, marking the first attacks on the neighbouring country's most populous province, Punjab, since the 1971 war that ratcheted up bilateral tensions.

The 26-minute action codenamed Operation Sindoor was announced by thedefence ministry at 1.44am, and the strikes conducted with a mix of missiles and smart munitions fired by aircraft and ground forces targeted bases of UN-proscribed terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) located across the international border and the Line of Control (LoC).

India's "me...