LISBON/NEW DELHI, May 19 — The Indian Embassy in Portugal has said it responded “firmly” to a protest organized by Pakistani nationals outside the Chancery building in Lisbon, reaffirming India’s commitment to Operation Sindoor, which it described as far from over.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy wrote: “Embassy of India @IndiainPortugal responded firmly with ‘Operation Sindoor’ to the cowardly protest organized by Pakistan near our Chancery building. We thank the Government of Portugal and its police authorities for their support in ensuring the safety and security of the Embassy. India will not be intimidated by such desperate provocations. Our resolve remains unshaken.”
Images released by the embassy showed posters displayed at the Indian diplomatic premises declaring, “Operation Sindoor is not over.”
India’s Ambassador to Portugal, Puneet Roy Kundal, echoed the sentiment, stating the protest was met with a “silent yet strong and resolute message.”
“Protests organised by Pakistan outside the Embassy were met with a silent yet strong and resolute message from our side: ‘Operation Sindoor is not yet over.’ All the Embassy officers were steadfast in this approach,” Kundal said on X.
Back home, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reinforced India’s message during a public address to Air Warriors at Bhuj Air Force Station.
“Operation Sindoor is not over yet. Whatever happened was just a trailer. We have kept Pakistan on probation. If its behaviour improves, then okay, otherwise, it will be given the strictest punishment,” Singh said.
Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian Armed Forces on May 7, was a retaliatory military strike targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 100 militants linked to proscribed groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
The Indian strike came in the wake of the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people and injured many others. Pakistan responded with cross-border shelling and drone incursions, prompting India to escalate with coordinated strikes on radar systems, communication hubs, and airbases within Pakistan.
Hostilities ceased on May 10 following a mutual understanding between the two countries, though Indian officials have consistently warned that the operation’s objectives are ongoing and conditional.
