Aarti, the daughter of Ramachandran, the 68-year-old man gunned down during the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, has welcomed India’s military response, saying it brought a measure of solace to grieving families.
The overnight operation, codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeted nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The strikes came in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives, including one Nepali national.
“Even though our loss can never be compensated, we are happy that India hit back at Pakistan,” Aarti said.
India responded at the right time. It was the moment we had all been waiting for. I’m relieved that no civilians were harmed in the operation.”
Aarti, a mother of twin boys, was vacationing in Pahalgam with her parents and children when the attack occurred. Breaking down as she recounted the trauma, she recalled the moment her father was shot dead in front of her and her sons. “The terrorist placed something on my head,” she had said earlier. “My sons screamed, and maybe hearing their cries, he walked away without harming them.”
Ramachandran’s funeral drew a large outpouring of public grief, attended by two governors, state ministers, film actors, and hundreds of mourners. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan were among those who personally visited Aarti to offer condolences.
Operation Sindoor, executed overnight with surgical precision, was closely monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior security officials. The Indian Army confirmed that no civilian or military infrastructure in Pakistan was damaged, underscoring the targeted nature of the mission.
(With inputs from IANS)