India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified on Thursday that the real escalation in the current India-Pakistan tensions began with the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. In a press briefing, Misri countered Pakistan's narrative of “Indian escalation,” stressing that India's military response, codenamed Operation Sindoor, was a justified retaliation against cross-border terrorism.

Under Operation Sindoor, Indian armed forces targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in precise overnight strikes on May 1. The operation, conducted between 1:04 AM and 1:30 AM, destroyed infrastructure linked to groups responsible for the Pahalgam massacre.

Misri also condemned the “disinformation campaign” emanating from Pakistan and urged the global community to recognize the Pahalgam attack as the trigger point. Several opposition parties and victims' families have lauded India's operation as a necessary and justified act in defense of its sovereignty and security.