Operation Sindoor: India strikes deepest inside undisputed Pakistani territory since 1971 Indo-Pak war

As India was asleep, the Indian armed forces struck nine terror sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan's Punjab Province. These strikes against Pakistan are the deepest New Delhi has ventured into Pakistan's undisputed borders since the India-Pakistan war of 1971, as per a CNN report.

Codenamed Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces launched an air strike on Pakistan on Wednesday. The air strike by the Indian armed forces came after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including one Nepali citizen.

The targets of this strike were the headquarters of proscribed terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

How far are these places from the international border, LoC?

Bahawalpur, the main operational centre of JeM, is significantly further away from the international border compared to the other locations that were targeted in the air strike. JeM's main operational centre is located around 250-300 km from the India-Pakistan border in the southern Punjab province of Punjab.

Muridke, the operational nerve centre of the LeT, is approximately 40-50 km away from the border. It is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Sialkot is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan and is around 10-20 km from the border with India. Chak Amru is very close to the international border, likely within 5-10 km of the border. 

Situated in PoK, Muzaffarabad and Bagh are approximately 40-60 km away from the Line of Control (LOC). Bhimber is situated further away from the LOC as compared to other locations in PoK at around 50-70 km. While Gulpur is situated within 10-20 km of the LoC in PoK, Kotli is estimated to be around 20-30 km away. Gulpur is said to be a launchpad for attacks in the Rajouri and Poonch sectors in J&K. 

Here's what happened in the 1971 war

In contrast, the Indian Armed Forces advanced up to 50-60 km inside Pakistan's undisputed western borders during the 1971 war. The sectors India advanced to inside the western borders of Pakistan were Sindh, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

In Sindh, the Indian armed forces made the deepest advance at around 40-50 km and captured notable towns including Khokrapar. The forces made advances towards Umerkot, but not towards major population centres such as Hyderabad. 

In the Lahore and Sialkot sectors, the Indian forces advanced and captured areas such as the Hussainiwala enclave and some parts near Fazilka. In the desert region, India captured Islamgarh and made advances towards Rahim Yar Khan, but could not reach there. 

These incursions were largely tactical and not aimed at permanent annexation. The 1971 war culminated in the creation of Bangladesh and the utter humiliation of Pakistan, as over 93,000 of its soldiers were taken as prisoners of war (POWs).