On April 22, 2025, terrorists struck Pahalgam in Kashmir with devastating brutality, killing security personnel and civilians in a style reminiscent of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The horror was familiar, but the response this time was anything but routine. The Indian state, no longer inclined to absorb such acts passively, responded with unmatched precision and firepower under what has now been formally termed Operation Sindoor.
This article traces the timeline, strategy, impact, and geopolitical implications of Operation Sindoor—a counter-terror offensive that sent a stark message: the era of strategic restraint is over.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks changed India’s security doctrine forever. For the first time, civilians saw terrorism exported directly from across the border into urban India. Meticulously planned by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the 26/11 assault exposed how deeply entrenched terror networks were in Pakistan—and how complicit state institutions like the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could be.
India responded diplomatically back then, compiling dossiers of evidence and sharing “target folders” of terrorist camps inside Pakistan with global powers. But in the corridors of New Delhi’s security establishment, a decision was already crystallizing: the next such attack would trigger military retaliation.
It would take years—and multiple smaller provocations—for that policy to be activated. After the 2016 Uri attack, India launched surgical strikes. Following the Pulwama bombing in 2019, India conducted the Balakot airstrikes. Each time, the stakes were raised.
But Pahalgam pushed the threshold further.
The attack on April 22 was executed with chilling precision. Gunmen ambushed a convoy of soldiers and followed it with an IED explosion that targeted rescue teams. The tactics were militarized. The execution was brutal. The aftermath was clear: India’s patience had reached its end.
The intelligence trail led back once again to Pakistan. More precisely, to four camps across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan’s Punjab—regions long believed to be “safe zones” for anti-India terror operations.
What followed was India’s most complex and far-reaching cross-border counterterrorism strike: Operation Sindoor.
Unlike previous missions limited to the border region, Operation Sindoor targeted deep infrastructure. It was planned as a joint effort between the Indian Air Force, RAW, and the Defence Intelligence Agency. The mission parameters were clear: destroy terror infrastructure, eliminate high-value targets, and neutralize any retaliatory threats from the Pakistan military.
Nine targets were selected, including Markaz, Sarjal, Maskar, and other well-known terror hubs. Intelligence was actionable and fresh. Many of these locations were previously off-limits due to their depth and proximity to Pakistan’s military assets.
India deployed drones, loitering munitions, and fighter aircraft armed with air-to-surface missiles. Before the main strikes, softening operations were conducted to degrade radar and air defense systems—what analysts called limited SEAD/DEAD (Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses) operations.
In the dead of night, coordinated strikes reduced multiple training camps and logistics nodes to rubble. Five of India’s most-wanted terrorists were confirmed dead, along with dozens of facilitators.
Initially, Pakistan appeared blindsided. Political leaders issued vague statements, some denying the strikes happened at all, while others admitted “losses” without detailing their nature.
Under immense pressure from terrorist groups it had long supported, the Pakistani military eventually retaliated. However, unlike India’s precision strikes, Pakistan’s response was haphazard and symbolically driven.
Most of its counterstrikes targeted civilian infrastructure—schools, religious places, and hospitals—across Jammu and Kashmir. These attacks, primarily executed using swarm drones and low-grade missiles, failed to inflict significant damage. One failed attempt even involved the use of a HATF surface-to-surface missile, which misfired and landed harmlessly.
The military effectiveness was near zero. Analysts believe the ISI, not the military, oversaw the targeting, likely to appease the terrorist groups they had cultivated over the years.
What followed only deepened India’s case against Pakistan. Senior Pakistani leaders publicly mourned the death of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor, attending state funerals for individuals India and Interpol listed as internationally wanted. These events underlined the tight nexus between Pakistan’s political-military elite and its terror infrastructure.
Operation Sindoor wasn’t just a tactical strike—it was a strategic shift. Here’s what it demonstrated:
India’s Resolve is No Longer Ambiguous: Pahalgam proved that India is ready to cross the Line of Control—and even strike deep inside Pakistani territory—if provoked.
Joint Ops Are the Future: The synergy between India’s civilian leadership, military, and intelligence community was evident. This was not a reactive mission but a calibrated and coordinated national response.
Pakistan’s Nuclear Bluff is Losing Credibility: For years, Pakistan has used the threat of nuclear escalation as a deterrent. Operation Sindoor exposed the limits of that bluff.
Air Dominance as a Force Multiplier: India’s ability to establish temporary air corridors using SEAD operations laid the groundwork for safe aerial movement and mission success with minimal attrition.
Global Optics Matter: By striking only terror infrastructure and avoiding civilian casualties, India maintained moral and diplomatic high ground—a critical factor in today’s information-driven global order.
Ceasefire on India’s Terms: Following the successful operation and limited escalation, India offered to reinitiate the ceasefire—this time from a position of undeniable strength.
Why does Pakistan persist in supporting these groups despite international isolation, FATF scrutiny, and military setbacks?
The answer lies in Pakistan’s internal calculus.
The Pakistan Army views jihadist groups as both strategic depth and domestic leverage. They help suppress internal dissent, especially in sensitive regions like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They reinforce the Army’s narrative of being the guardian of national identity, especially against “Hindu India.” And crucially, they divert public attention from economic collapse and political instability.
But this house of cards is crumbling.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) continues to bleed Pakistani forces in the west. The economy teeters on collapse. Civil-military relations are under strain. And now, with India’s latest strikes, the eastern front is an active liability.
India has refrained from celebrating the operation excessively, focusing instead on sustained pressure across all fronts—diplomatic, informational, military, and economic.
New Delhi is also recalibrating its foreign policy to isolate Pakistan further. Increased engagement with Gulf nations, strategic cooperation with the U.S. and France, and intelligence-sharing with European powers are part of this framework.
Moreover, India’s defense modernization continues. Emphasis is being placed on drones, space-based surveillance, artificial intelligence, and an indigenous defense industrial base.
