Leaves cancelled! Amit Shah orders paramilitary chiefs to recall personnel on leave after Operation Sindoor: Sources

In the wake of India’s overnight cross-border strikes under Operation Sindoor, Home Minister Amit Shah has directed all paramilitary chiefs to recall personnel currently on leave, according to top government sources. The move signals a heightened state of preparedness amid escalating tensions along the Pakistan frontier.

The order follows India’s targeted missile strikes early Wednesday, May 7, on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The precision operation, jointly executed by the Army, Air Force, and Navy, targeted terror hubs of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen — including JeM’s base in Bahawalpur and LeT’s headquarters in Muridke.

Defence ministry officials said the strikes were “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” carefully avoiding any Pakistani military infrastructure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly monitored the operation in real time. The strikes were launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, including one Nepali national.

Sources said more than 80 terrorists were eliminated in the coordinated assault, which is being viewed as one of the most extensive retaliatory actions in recent years. India has since briefed the US, UK, Russia, and other global powers on the operation’s objective: to dismantle cross-border terror networks without escalating into full-scale conflict.

As the situation remains tense, a cryptic post from former Army chief General Manoj Naravane on X (formerly Twitter) read, “Abhi picture baki hai…”, fuelling speculation of further military steps. Defence analyst Nitin A. Gokhale echoed the sentiment, posting: “Op Sindoor. First phase done. More coming? Who knows.”

Pakistan’s government, calling the strike an “act of war,” has warned of retaliation. India, meanwhile, has kept its forces on high alert. Airports in border states remain under surveillance, with military readiness elevated.