Operation Sindoor, launched by India in the early hours of May 7, 2025, marks a significant escalation and doctrinal shift in India’s response to cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The operation was a direct military retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, including tourists.

India’s strikes targeted and destroyed nine high-value terror launchpads linked to groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen, not only in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) but also deep within Pakistan’s mainland, including strategic areas like Punjab province and Bahawalpur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired high-level security meetings, directing the armed forces to give a “befitting response to any Pakistani misadventure.” The government’s message was unequivocal: if Pakistan fires, India will respond more forcefully; if Pakistan stops, India will stop. This approach has been described as a “new normal” in India’s counterterrorism doctrine, discarding the previous distinction between terrorist actors and their state sponsors, and signalling that no part of Pakistan would be considered safe if terror originated from its soil.

Following the May 7 strikes, hostilities intensified, with Pakistan retaliating through artillery, drone, and missile attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border, targeting both military and civilian areas in India.

India responded with precision strikes on Pakistani military installations, including command centers, radar sites, and airbases in locations such as Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot. Indian sources reported significant Pakistani casualties and damage to critical military infrastructure, including F-16 airbases and air defence units.

Despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement effective from 5 PM IST on May 10, violations continued, with both sides accusing each other of renewed shelling and drone incursions. India declared that Operation Sindoor was not over and reiterated its policy: “if they fire, we fire.” The Indian government further stated that all diplomatic communication with Pakistan would be limited to the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) channel, with no other issues on the table.

A notable political move was the linking of the Indus Waters Treaty to cross-border terrorism, with Indian authorities announcing that the treaty would remain in abeyance as long as Pakistan-sponsored terrorism continued. This was intended to increase the cost of continued terror activities for Pakistan, reinforcing India’s uncompromising stance.

By Sunday morning, Indian authorities reported that the situation was under control, but the armed forces remained on high alert with standing orders to respond decisively to any further violations. The overall message from New Delhi is clear: any future aggression from Pakistan will be met with overwhelming force, and the era of measured, restrained responses to cross-border terrorism has ended.

Agencies