In a geopolitical landscape marred by decades of proxy wars and asymmetric threats, India has once again found itself confronting the grim realities of cross-border terrorism. The recent terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of several Indian security personnel, is not an isolated incident. It is part of a longstanding pattern of violence orchestrated by Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex, using non-state actors as strategic tools. India has responded decisively with Operation Sindoor — a carefully planned counter-terror offensive that marks not only military precision but also geopolitical messaging.
To understand the rationale behind India’s Operation Sindoor, one must first grasp the anatomy of Pakistan’s proxy war doctrine. Since the 1980s, Pakistan has systematically deployed terrorism as an extension of state policy, particularly against India. The inception of this policy can be traced to General Zia-ul-Haq’s era, when the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) began nurturing jihadist groups as “strategic assets” to achieve its geopolitical objectives. Pakistan has consistently invested in destabilizing India through asymmetric means. Organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen have operated with impunity from Pakistani soil, receiving logistical, financial, and military support.
A brief list of key attacks underscores the scale of Pakistan’s complicity:
• 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts: Coordinated bombings killing over 250 people, planned with ISI backing.
• 1999 IC-814 Hijacking: Plane hijacked to Kandahar, masterminded by JeM. India was forced to release Masood Azhar, who later founded JeM.
• 2001 Indian Parliament Attack: Carried out by JeM and LeT operatives. Nearly led to full-scale war.
• 2008 Mumbai Attacks (26/11): Ten LeT terrorists from Pakistan killed 166 civilians; Ajmal Kasab’s testimony and GPS evidence established ISI links.
• 2016 Pathankot and Uri Attacks: JeM operatives attacked strategic military installations.
• 2019 Pulwama Attack: A suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF personnel. JeM claimed responsibility.
What makes Pakistan’s behavior particularly duplicitous is its long-standing policy of differentiating between “good” and “bad” terrorists. Groups targeting India and Afghanistan are often shielded, while others occasionally face clampdowns under international pressure.
This double game has not only destabilized the region but has eroded whatever credibility Islamabad might have had in the international system. While successive Pakistani leaders talk of peace and dialogue, their military-intelligence establishment actively incubates jihadist networks that sabotage any real progress.
On April 22, 2025, a horrific terrorist attack occurred in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where five militants opened fire on tourists, resulting in the deaths of 28 individuals, including 25 Hindu tourists and one local Muslim pony operator. The attackers, armed with M4 carbines and AK-47s, specifically targeted individuals based on their religion, asking victims to recite Islamic verses or checking for circumcision to identify non-Muslims before executing them.
Investigations by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) revealed that the attackers included at least two Pakistani nationals affiliated with the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). One of the identified militants, Hashim Musa, was a former member of Pakistan’s paramilitary forces who joined LeT after dismissal from service. Digital footprints and forensic evidence linked the attack to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, suggesting support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
India’s response in the form of Operation Sindoor stands as a firm and strategic declaration that the blood of innocents will not be spilled without consequence. For decades, India has upheld a doctrine rooted in restraint and respect for international norms. Despite enduring repeated terrorist provocations, India has consistently refrained from unilateral aggression, honoring bilateral agreements, including those on ceasefire commitments and water-sharing under the Indus Waters Treaty. Even in the face of grave provocations, India has neither launched a first strike nor disrupted foundational diplomatic frameworks.
However, diplomacy demands reciprocity. It is a two-way street — one that Pakistan has persistently disrespected. The April 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of Indian security personnel, proved to be a watershed moment. It was not merely an act of terror; it was a blatant breach of India’s sovereign patience, facilitated by Pakistan’s state-supported terror networks.
In a decisive shift, on May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision air and missile strikes targeting nine key terror infrastructure hubs located in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. These sites were carefully identified through intelligence inputs as operational bases for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and associated militant factions responsible for a litany of cross-border attacks.
The targets struck included: Bahawalpur, Punjab – Headquarters of JeM and a major ideological center. Muridke, near Lahore – Lashkar-e-Taiba’s primary command center and training facility. Tehra Kalan, Punjab – Known for militant training camps and logistical coordination. Sialkot, Punjab – A key transit and logistics point for cross-border infiltration. Bhimber, Pakistan-administered Kashmir – A major infiltration route across the LoC. Kotli, Pakistan-administered Kashmir – Used for tactical training and launch pads. Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir – A long-standing terror staging ground. Subhan Allah Camp, Bahawalpur – A JeM training compound with foreign recruits. Additional undisclosed sites in Pakistan-administered Kashmir – Housing command infrastructure and weapons caches.
led by two women officers: Colonel Sofia Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force. This marked a historic moment as the media briefing, delivered by these two officers, symbolized the empowerment of women in India’s defense forces and highlighted the nation’s resolve against terrorism.
The operation, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, was executed with precision and restraint. Colonel Qureshi emphasized the careful planning that ensured no Pakistani military installations were hit, and civilian casualties were minimized. Wing Commander Singh, focusing on the airstrikes, underscored the strategic, intelligence-based approach that guided the operation.
The terrorists who spared women during the massacre and instructed them to send a message to the Indian government inadvertently became the backdrop for a powerful counter-message. The briefing, led by two women from different faiths, sent a clear and potent signal: India’s women will not spare those who threaten national security, underscoring India’s unified and determined stance in the fight against terrorism.
These strikes were conducted using Rafale jets equipped with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs, ensuring precision targeting to minimize collateral damage. India is a repsponsible state, ensuring that no civilians are intentionally targeted. Operation Sindoor is thus not just a military action but a diplomatic assertion of India’s right to self-defense.
It is critical to recognize that Pakistan’s export of terrorism is not just an India problem. The same networks have been responsible for attacks in Afghanistan, Iran, and even China’s Xinjiang province. The global jihadist ecosystem, from Al-Qaeda to ISIS-K, has found ideological and material support in Pakistan’s permissive environment.
Thus, India’s actions under Operation Sindoor can also be interpreted as part of the broader global fight against terrorism. It echoes the principle that harboring terrorism, directly or indirectly, invites consequences.
In the aftermath of India’s meticulously executed Operation Sindoor, which struck nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan has responded with reckless and inhumane shelling across civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir. As many as 15 Indian civilians were killed and 43 injured as Pakistani forces launched unprovoked and indiscriminate firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border, specifically targeting populated regions.
Notably, India’s strikes were surgical and did not target civilians or non-military infrastructure, adhering strictly to international humanitarian norms and Geneva Conventions. This marked a continuation of India’s policy of strategic restraint combined with firm retaliation, intended to dismantle terrorist capabilities without escalating civilian casualties or disrupting peace unnecessarily.
In sharp and shameful contrast, Pakistan’s response was brutal and indiscriminate, aimed directly at Indian civilians, with no pretense of targeting military assets. Shelling in the Poonch and Tangdhar sectors resulted in 15 civilian deaths, including women and children, and left 43 injured. One of the most shocking incidents was the bombing of the historic Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Poonch district.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, expressing his anguish on social media platform X, confirmed that three Gursikh devotees lost their lives in the attack:
• Bhai Amrik Singh Ji, a raagi and religious scholar
• Bhai Amarjeet Singh
• Bhai Ranjit Singh
The gurdwara, a place of worship and peace, was reduced to rubble, sending shockwaves through the Sikh community and reinforcing the extent to which Pakistan’s military disregards both religious sanctity and civilian protection in its war strategy.
While India’s Operation Sindoor was aimed squarely at eradicating terror infrastructure—with intelligence-backed targeting of militant training camps, ammunition depots, and infiltration routes—Pakistan’s retaliatory shelling blatantly violated international law, including the Geneva Conventions that prohibit attacks on civilians and religious institutions.
This latest wave of violence once again underlines the deep asymmetry between India’s responsible, rule-based military conduct and Pakistan’s rogue behavior. New Delhi’s precision operation was a message of deterrence and a defense of national security in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s retaliatory actions were not just violations of law—they were acts of desperation, intended to provoke, destabilize, and inflict pain on a civilian population already burdened by decades of cross-border hostility.
India’s Operation Sindoor was a calibrated response aimed solely at dismantling terrorist infrastructure responsible for the Pahalgam attack. In contrast, Pakistan’s indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas reflects a disregard for human life and international norms.
Operation Sindoor made it clearer, one truth stands out: India will no longer tolerate a neighbor that wields terrorism as statecraft.
