Special Correspondent
New Delhi: In a provocative and misleading statement, terrorist organization Al Qaeda has attempted to portray India’s counter-terror operation ‘Operation Sindoor’ as a Hindu versus Muslim issue, falsely accusing the Indian government of launching a ‘jihad’ against Muslims. The group has issued a threat to take revenge, declaring, “We pledge to continue fighting until we avenge every injustice done to Muslims.”
Following the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India launched a swift and targeted response, striking nine terror camps in Pakistan, killing over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba. In the aftermath, Al Qaeda’s Indian subcontinent wing released a statement through its media arm As-Sahab.
In the statement, Al Qaeda accused the Modi government of attempting to wipe out Islam and Muslims through military, political, cultural, and media means. The group alleged that on the night of May 6, the Indian “saffron government” bombed six locations in Pakistan, targeting “mosques and slums” and resulting in deaths and injuries of Muslims.
The statement added, “It is our duty to raise the name of Allah, defend Islam and Muslims, and help the oppressed. Allah will elevate the martyrs to paradise and heal the wounded. Ameen.” It called the Indian operation another “chapter in the crimes of the saffron government,” falsely portraying it as part of a long-standing war against Muslims in India and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif added fuel to the fire by making exaggerated and false claims, stating that 80 Indian fighter jets were involved in the strike. He said Pakistani intelligence had advance knowledge of the attack and that their armed forces were on high alert. Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to retaliate and called for a “transparent investigation” into the Pahalgam attack.
India’s Operation Sindoor was a targeted strike on terror infrastructure, not on civilians or religious sites. The aim was to dismantle the very networks responsible for the brutal attack on innocent Hindu pilgrims in Pahalgam. Any attempt to communalize this counter-terror action is not only baseless but a desperate move by terrorist groups feeling the heat. India has made it clear acts of terrorism will no longer go unanswered.
