Pahalgam attack victim’s wife calls Operation Sindoor historic response to terrorism

On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, the wife of slain tourist Shubham Dwivedi praised the Indian Army and the government for what she described as a strong and historic response against terrorism.

Aishanya, widow of the 31-year-old Kanpur resident killed in the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, said the military operation brought a sense of justice to families devastated by terrorism.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the killing of 26 tourists in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam.

Recalling the emotional toll of the tragedy, Aishanya said the anniversary revived painful memories for all families affected by terror violence across the country.

“This journey has been extremely difficult. The memories and pain of every family affected by terrorism return on a day like this,” she said.

She stated that the response following the Pahalgam attack was unlike anything seen earlier. According to her, previous terror attacks did not receive such a decisive military reaction.

“Terror attacks happened earlier too, but this was the first time the government and the Army responded so strongly after an attack of this scale. For families like ours, it feels like justice,” she said.

Aishanya also renewed the demand for granting martyr status to all civilians killed in the Pahalgam attack. She said the victims were specifically targeted because of their religious identity and deserved national honour.

“When I say martyr, I mean national respect for innocent civilians who were killed after being identified by their religion,” she said.

She further noted that the Army dedicating Operation Sindoor to women who lost their husbands in the attack carried deep emotional meaning for the bereaved families.

Operation Sindoor led to heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan, with retaliatory strikes and border hostilities continuing for several days before both sides agreed to halt military actions on May 10 following hotline talks between army officials.