Operation Sindoor will be remembered as one of the most decisive and finely calibrated military responses carried out by the Indian defence establishment in recent years. The operation was launched in the early hours of May 7, 2025, as a direct retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack which had brutally claimed the lives of 26 Indians.

The attack triggered a firm and swift response from New Delhi, leading to precision air and missile strikes against terrorist infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

According to Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the hallmark of the operation was the disproportionate effect achieved with minimal effort — fewer than 50 air-delivered weapons and missiles were employed to bring Pakistan to the negotiating table and force a ceasefire within four days of active hostilities.

He emphasised at the NDTV Defence Summit that from a large list of potential targets, the Indian Air Force carefully narrowed down strikes to just nine major sites of terrorist importance, comprising entrenched camps and command hubs of groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

The successful neutralization of these targets highlighted the effectiveness of advance planning, real-time data networks, and India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), which proved to be the backbone of the campaign by seamlessly coordinating offensive strikes and defensive countermeasures.

The primary objectives of Operation Sindoor were threefold: to deliver a visibly punitive blow against Pakistan-based terror networks, to send a clear deterrent message against future attacks, and to demonstrate India’s resolve while keeping escalation under control.

These guiding principles ensured that the Indian Armed Forces were given full operational freedom while simultaneously being prepared for the possibility of the confrontation expanding into a larger, conventional conflict.

The Vice Chief underlined that while the initiation of war is often easy, ending it on one’s terms is more complex — and this was central to the strategic calculations made by New Delhi.

The strikes were carried out with surgical precision. Among the most prominent targets destroyed were Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur (a long-standing headquarters linked to Masood Azhar), the Sarjal camp in Tehra Kalan, Markaz Abbas in Kotli, and the Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad. Lashkar-e-Taiba’s strongholds, such as the Markaz Taiba in Murdike and Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala, were also struck, along with their camp in Shwawai Nalla. Hizbul Mujahideen too faced crippling losses with strikes on the Makaz Raheel Shahid facility in Kotli and Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot. Intelligence sources reported that over 100 terrorists were eliminated, including ten family members of Masood Azhar and four of his close confidants, inflicting a heavy emotional and organisational blow on the leadership of these terror outfits.

The targeted strikes led to massive disruption in the operational capacity of the terror ecosystem in Pakistan, while simultaneously exposing the inability of Pakistan’s military to safeguard its deep assets. 

Pakistan attempted to mount retaliatory actions, leading to four days of intense cross-border exchange, involving fighters, drones, artillery fire and missile launches. However, India’s layered air defence networks and offensive edge, supported by IACCS, allowed the Indian Armed Forces to absorb the initial Pakistani response and deliver a crushing counter-strike that convinced Islamabad to quickly seek de-escalation.

Air Marshal Tiwari underscored that in military strategy, victory does not always demand large-scale offensives; often, the right selection of targets and judicious application of force can secure political-military outcomes efficiently.

He remarked that the success of Operation Sindoor not only decimated terrorist infrastructures but also compelled Pakistan to accept a ceasefire on terms favourable to India, effectively achieving "conflict elimination" with extraordinary economy of effort.

In conclusion, Operation Sindoor represents a watershed moment in India’s counter-terror doctrines. It validated the effectiveness of precision warfare backed by strong command-and-control systems, as well as the strategic maturity of India’s political leadership in balancing punitive military action with calibrated conflict management.

By destroying nine critical terror camps with fewer than 50 weapons and forcing a nuclear-armed adversary into quick submission, India sent an unambiguous message that its red lines will be defended with ruthless efficiency while keeping escalation within controllable bounds.

The operation has not only enhanced deterrence but has also set a new regional benchmark for rapid, decisive, and strategically aligned military response.

Based On NDTV Report