Authorities in Srinagar on Saturday (September 20, 2025) recovered the remains of a projectile linked to Operation Sindoor, months after it reportedly exploded over Dal Lake. Officials confirmed that the debris surfaced during a routine deweeding exercise when workers came across a fragment of the projectile.
The find was immediately reported to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who secured the site before handing the component over to the Indian Air Force for technical analysis.
Security officials admitted the situation carried significant risk. Dal Lake, a major tourist attraction with floating gardens and residential areas, could have witnessed large-scale casualties had the missile detonated fully. “The components of the live missile will be deactivated and transported to a secure location,” Jammu and Kashmir Police told NDTV.
When did the missile land in Dal Lake?
The discovery ties back to May 10, just days after India executed Operation Sindoor, its retaliatory strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). On that morning, Srinagar was shaken by multiple blasts. Locals reported smoke rising from the lake’s surface as fragments of a missile-like object were spotted in the water and nearby built-up areas.
The discovery was made during the cleaning drive, officials from the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) found the remains of the shell in Srinagar’s Dal Lake.
Launched on the intervening night of May 6–7, Operation Sindoor was India’s swift response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, including a Nepali national. In a tightly coordinated joint strike, the Indian Army and Air Force fired 24 missiles within 25 minutes, targeting nine terror camps across the border. Intelligence reports estimate that 70 terrorists were eliminated during the operation.
Why does this discovery matter now?
The recovery of the projectile fragment underscores both the precision and risks inherent in high-intensity military operations. While the strikes demonstrated India’s capability for rapid, proportionate retaliation, the resurfacing of unexploded components months later highlights the potential dangers of live ordnance in populated or ecologically sensitive zones.
Worth noting here is that India took just 25 minutes to unleash 24 missiles that hit 9 terror camps and killed 70 terrorists in Pakistan and PoK.