India’s early morning missile strikes under Operation Sindoor mark a significant development in South Asia’s evolving military and geopolitical dynamics. Carried out in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including one Nepali citizen, the Indian armed forces launched precise strikes on nine identified terror facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. These targets, associated with well-known terror outfits like JeM, LeT, and Hizbul Mujahideen, were hit using advanced stand-off weapons, drones, and precision-guided munitions. The strikes were successful and carefully planned to avoid escalation, as no Pakistani military installations were targeted.
The decision to conduct such a focused operation illustrates India’s evolved counterterrorism doctrine-assertive, yet calculated. The Defence Ministry made it clear that the intent was not to provoke war but to dismantle infrastructure that has repeatedly enabled cross-border terrorism. In choosing to strike from within Indian airspace and using advanced technology, India not only ensured operational safety for its forces but also demonstrated the strategic depth and precision of its military capabilities. Operation Sindoor, named after the traditional vermilion symbolising marriage in Hindu culture, is a poignant tribute to the women widowed by the Pahalgam attack and a reminder of the civilian cost of terrorism.
The backdrop to this operation is crucial. The Pahalgam terror attack triggered widespread public outrage and calls for accountability. Prime Minister granted India’s armed forces complete operational freedom to decide the timing, nature, and scope of a retaliatory strike. This political endorsement was vital; it empowered the military to act decisively while ensuring a coordinated strategy at the highest level. The result was a mission that projected both India’s military capability and its policy clarity on terrorism: the days of unreciprocated restraint are over.
Operation Sindoor fits into a broader trend in India’s evolving counter-terror doctrine, which has notably shifted since the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. These operations together underscore a new Indian doctrine-one based on proactive defence, the use of modern warfare techniques, and a willingness to cross traditional red lines when necessary, albeit within carefully managed parameters. It also signals to terror outfits and their state sponsors that India will respond with strength and accuracy and not remain passive in the face of repeated provocations.
For over four decades, India has borne the brunt of relentless cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Despite repeated provocations and grave security challenges, India has consistently shown restraint, upholding its commitment to peace and regional stability. As a responsible neighbour, India extended a hand of cooperation on multiple fronts-from diplomatic overtures to generous gestures like the largely one-sided Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan, however, has refused to learn from its own historical blunders, including the 1971 debacle that led to its bifurcation. Its obsession with targeting India has not waned, and it continues to employ the “death by a thousand cuts” doctrine through sustained proxy warfare. Over time, terrorism has become an instrument of state policy in Pakistan, used deliberately to destabilise India. This is evident from the presence of internationally designated terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, and Zakir ur Rehman Lakhvi-all finding safe haven in Pakistani territory. The global community has time and again found links between Pakistan and major terror incidents across continents, solidifying its reputation as a breeding ground for terrorism.
Between 1985 and 2015, India tried every possible diplomatic and moral approach to make Pakistan see the futility of its proxy war strategy. India submitted dossiers with concrete evidence of terror infrastructure operating in Pakistani territory, hoping that Pakistan would act decisively. However, despite mounting international pressure and its own economic collapse, Pakistan persisted in its delusion of strategic parity, continuing to use non-state actors to bleed India. The gruesome killing of 26 innocent tourists in Pahalgam was the final straw. Even after the attack, India gave Pakistan a chance to act on its own. But no meaningful action was taken. With Operation Sindoor, India made it clear that enough is enough. The policy of strategic patience has been replaced with a doctrine of proactive deterrence. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has embraced a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, evident in actions like the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. Now, India has signalled that it is prepared to use every tool available-military, diplomatic, economic, and even hydro-strategic-to hold Pakistan accountable for its sponsorship of terrorism.
India’s response this time is not just about avenging a single terror attack-it’s a larger statement of resolve. By selectively targeting only terrorist facilities during Operation Sindoor and sparing Pakistani civilian and military infrastructure, India has once again demonstrated maturity and precision in its military doctrine. In parallel, steps such as putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and working diplomatically to isolate Pakistan and restrict international aid reflect a multidimensional strategy to pressure Islamabad. Pakistan has severely miscalculated both the capability and will of the Indian state. The Indian Armed Forces, among the most battle-hardened and professional in the world, stand ready to meet any challenge. The international community, meanwhile, has little appetite for supporting a regime that shelters terrorists. The ball is now firmly in Pakistan’s court-it must either act decisively against terrorism within its borders or face far-reaching consequences. The time for ambiguity is over. India is ready to pursue a final reckoning with terrorism, and Pakistan’s only chance for reprieve lies in course correction, not confrontation.
This operation, while deeply symbolic, is also pragmatic. It gave closure to the victims of Pahalgam, sent a message of deterrence to terror groups and their backers, and reiterated India’s national resolve.
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