The Indian Army on Sunday confirmed that five soldiers died during Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that drew worldwide condemnation.

Speaking during a press briefing, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said: "I pay my solemn homage to my five fallen colleagues and brothers from the armed forces and civilians who tragically lost their lives in Operation Sindoor. Our hearts go out to the bereaved families"

'No Less Than War'

Ghai said activities that were taking place for the past few days amid the escalation of tension between the  neighbours, following the launch of Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, was no less than a war.

"The activities that have been going on for the last 3-4 days are no less than a war," he said.

"Under normal circumstances, the air forces of each other's countries do not fly in the air and target each other," Ghai said.

"Under normal circumstances, infiltration across the Line of Control is done by terrorists. We have information that the Pakistani Army were possibly involved in infiltration across the Line of Control, which is trying to harm our posts." he was quoted as saying.

Ceasefire

India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire effective 5 pm on Saturday after four days of intense military exchanges following Operation Sindoor, which was undertaken to strike terror bases in Pakistan and PoK in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

However, hours after the deal, Pakistan, later in the night, violated the agreement along the LoC at multiple locations.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late Saturday night that within hours of the ceasefire declaration, Pakistan violated the agreement, prompting India to demand that Islamabad act responsibly and rein in the breaches.