Lingering Questions About & After Operation Sindoor

On 7 May morning, a plane crashed at village Akali Khurd in Bathinda, Panjab. The Panjab police sealed the area and until now there is no confirmation to which country the plane belonged. Three fighter jets crashed in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). Pakistan claims it shot down 3 Rafale Planes, 1 SU-30, and 1 MIG-29 but there is no confirmation by the India. A French intelligence source has said Pakistan downed a Rafale. Pakistan was using the Chinese J-10 fighters and PL-15 missiles against Indian jets. Meanwhile the Rafale stocks have fallen 7% and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation—the Chinese aerospace company behind the J-10 fighter jets—has gone up 20%. The claims about 8 Pakistan air bases destroyed by India have not been confirmed. Countries may not release all details of defence losses but on humanitarian grounds they must release the names of all soldiers and civilians killed in the conflict. India maintains its reason to attack Pakistan was the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam on 22 Apr. However, India is yet to share evidence linking the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan. On 24 Apr, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said from Madhubani, Bihar, ‘India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.’ After this India launched Operation Sindoor (vermilion marker for married Hindu women) on the night of May 6-7. After four days of escalating conflict, on 10 May, the US called for a ceasefire. However, after the ceasefire was announced, blackouts were imposed in Panjab. On 12 May after PM Modi addressed the nation, drones trespassed the Line of Control in J&K. In his address, PM Modi said, ‘Our declared policy remains: if talks are to happen with Pakistan, they will only be on terrorism. And if talks happen with Pakistan, they will be about Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.’ A terrorist attack took place on 13 May at Shopian, J&K. India has not said anything either on the terrorist attack or trade talks with the US which President Trump claimed would ensure peace between India and Pakistan.