Sun May 18 03:02:21 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the provided text and a rewrite as a news article:

**Summary:**

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs is refuting claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar admitted India alerted Pakistan before launching “Operation Sindoor,” a military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Gandhi criticized the government, suggesting this warning undermined the operation. The Ministry clarified that Jaishankar’s comments referred to warning Pakistan *after* the initial phase of the operation, not before. The operation, launched on May 7th in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, involved destroying nine terror infrastructures and led to a four-day confrontation ending with a ceasefire agreement on May 10th.

**News Article:**

**MEA Denies Pre-Strike Warning to Pakistan in “Operation Sindoor,” Amidst Political Scrutiny**

**New Delhi – May 18, 2025** – The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has vehemently denied accusations that India alerted Pakistan prior to the launch of “Operation Sindoor,” the military campaign targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) earlier this month.

The denial comes in response to claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who cited comments from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, alleging the government informed Pakistan before initiating the strikes. Gandhi has publicly questioned the authorization of such a decision and its potential impact on the safety of Indian Air Force assets.

“[The External Affairs Minister] had stated that we had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement,” the MEA clarified in a statement. “This is being falsely represented as being before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out.”

Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7th following the Pahalgam terror attack, saw Indian forces target and destroy nine terrorist infrastructures within Pakistan and PoK. Subsequent retaliatory actions from Pakistan prompted four days of intense confrontations before a ceasefire was reached on May 10th.

The MEA’s swift response underscores the sensitivity surrounding the military operation and the government’s efforts to counter what it calls a “misrepresentation” of facts. The controversy has sparked a debate over transparency and strategic decision-making in matters of national security.

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