Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 5 (ANI): Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, students in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur are making handmade Rakhis and greeting cards for Indian soldiers to express gratitude for their role in Operation Sindoor and for protecting the nation at the borders.

A student said this Raksha Bandhan holds special significance as it is the first festival after the successful execution of Operation Sindoor.

Speaking to ANI, a student said, 'This is the first festival after Operation Sindoor, so we are making Rakhis for the soldiers who contributed to its success and those who stand at the border for the country's protection... We feel proud and decided to make Rakhis and greeting cards instead of buying it from the market...'

Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, is a traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On this occasion, sisters tie a rakhi around their brothers' wrists, and in return, brothers offer gifts as a symbol of love and protection.

Twenty-six civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the terror attack.

Earlier on August 2, as part of the Indian Army's National outreach and awareness campaign, a session on Operation Sindoor was briefed by Commander, Chenab Brigade at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu.

The interaction was organised under the aegis of the Tiger Division and was attended by the Director, faculty members and students of IIT, Jammu.

The initiative aimed at spreading awareness about India's whole-of-nation approach to counter-terrorism, the professionalism of the Armed Forces, and the strategic clarity that underpinned Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, as per the release.

The session concluded with a Q&A where students expressed keen interest in national security, strategic affairs and the evolving nature of warfare. (ANI)