Pakistan temporarily suspends flight operations at Karachi, Sialkot and Lahore airports

KARACHI: Amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has 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 have been 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.

Hundreds of flights at Lahore’s main international airport have been cancelled in the wake of #India’s attack on #Pakistan and Pakistan administered Kashmir.#IndiaPakistanWar #IndiaPakistan pic.twitter.com/uBfamsrFKc

— Sara Iram Gill (@SaraIramGL) May 7, 2025

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 in Delhi on Wednesday, 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.

“First is Sarjal camp, Sialkot, which lies 6 km inside Pakistan… It’s the camp where those terrorists involved in the March 2025 killing of four Jammu and Kashmir police personnel received their training,” she said.

She also confirmed the destruction of Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, located 100 km inside Pakistan, stating, “It was the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, targeted by Indian Armed Forces.”

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh elaborated on the operation’s strategic intent, stating, “‘Operation Sindoor’ was a retaliation to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 to serve justice to the innocent victims and their families.

She revealed that Pakistan has maintained a complex terror infrastructure for three decades, comprising 21 recruitment, indoctrination, and launch pad centres across Pakistan and PoJK.

Emphasising the operation’s precision, Qureshi clarified, “No military installation was targeted, and till now there are no reports of civilian casualties in Pakistan.”

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. (ANI)