Pakistan, rattled by Indian strikes, suspends national and international flights, shuts all airports

Scared by the Indian airstrikes at a number of places earlier in the day, rattled Pakistan on Thursday suspended all national, international flights and closed all airports amid escalation of war with India. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) temporarily suspended flight operations at airports in Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot, Aaj News reported.

According to PAA, the airports in Lahore and Sialkot will remain unavailable for all flights until 12 pm on Thursday (local time). The flight schedules of both domestic and international flights have been impacted due to the suspension, Aaj News reported.

Passengers were asked to contact their respective airlines to get updates regarding their flight timings and possible delays. The development comes after Indian forces on Wednesday carried out precision strikes at the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people and injured several others.

The Indian Armed Forces on Wednesday shared details about Operation Sindoor, a targeted strike mission to destroy terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. Addressing a press briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh outlined the objectives of the operation and provided details on destroyed terrorist camps. Four of the nine targeted terrorist camps are in Pakistan and the remaining in PoJK.

The operation, executed by the Indian Armed Forces, dismantled terror infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen. Colonel Qureshi detailed the targeted camps, stating that the four terrorist camps destroyed in Pakistan are Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya.

The strikes, conducted between 1:05 am and 1:30 am early on Wednesday, were a coordinated effort by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) based on credible intelligence.