Mormugao (Goa) [India], May 21 (ANI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said that Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror bases in Muridke and Bahawalpur in Pakistan, had sent a clear message to the world that terrorism will not go unpunished.

He said the strikes, carried out deep inside enemy territory, were precise and in line with India's principle of targeting only terrorists.

'When India responded to Pakistan's terrorist misadventure at Pahalgam on April 22, you were on high alert, alongside our Navy and other services. The precise strikes on terror bases in Muridke and Bahawalpur sent a global message: Terrorism will no longer go unpunished,' Dhankhar said while addressing the Coast Guard personnel at Mormugao port in Goa.

The Vice President made these remarks while inaugurating three infrastructure projects at the port - a solar power plant, a covered dome for coal handling, and two harbour mobile cranes.

He added that the operation brought pride and satisfaction to the country.

'The punishment was exemplary. The strike was deep in enemy territory, beyond the international border, and yet it remained aligned with our ethos: to target only terrorists. What a moment of satisfaction and pride for everyone -- the high achievement of Operation Sindoor,' he said.

'No one is asking for proof because the terrorists targeted became the proof for the global fraternity. Their coffins were escorted by the military forces of that country, by their political forces, and by the terrorists themselves,' Dhankar added.

Operation Sindoor was India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, and also as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan, as per an earlier statement by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Precision strikes were carried out on nine identified terrorist camps across Pakistan. The targeted sites included headquarters and training facilities of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen and eliminated over 100 terrorists.

Following the strikes, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone attacks. In response, India launched coordinated airstrikes that damaged key military infrastructure across 11 Pakistani airbases. On May 10, both sides announced an understanding on the cessation of hostilities. (ANI)