India strikes back with precision and purpose
In a swift and powerful display of military coordination, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor,’ a high-precision counter-terrorism strike targeting nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the barbaric April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 innocent lives, including that of a Nepali national. The operation, jointly executed by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, lasted a mere 25 minutes, yet its impact was resounding. From 1.05 AM to 1.30 AM, 24 missiles rained down on terror infrastructure across nine key locations — Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal — facilities long known to harbour and nurture cross-border terrorism.
The sites struck were associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) — two of the most lethal Pakistan-based terror outfits responsible for a string of deadly attacks on Indian soil. Bahawalpur, a known JeM stronghold, was among the key targets, while Muzaffarabad and Bhimber — critical nodes in the infiltration network into Kashmir — were also struck.
Five targets were located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and four were deep within mainland Pakistan, underscoring the expanded reach and confidence of India’s counter-terror doctrine. According to sources, over 70 terrorists were killed, and 60 others were injured in the strikes. Importantly, no Pakistani military installations were targeted, reaffirming India’s stance of targeting terrorism, not the State. Operation Sindoor is not just a military success — it marks a doctrinal shift in India’s security posture. Gone is the era of strategic restraint in the face of terror. This operation signals a new red line: India will respond swiftly, proportionately, and decisively to any attack on its soil. India has long been a victim of relentless terrorism perpetrated and supported by elements within Pakistan.
For more than three decades, this cross-border terror has claimed thousands of innocent lives, disrupted communities, and posed a persistent threat to national security. At the heart of this campaign have been State-backed militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, organisations that have not only operated with impunity in Pakistan but have also received logistical, financial, and strategic support from its security establishment. The roots of this proxy war date back to the late 1980s, when Pakistan began infiltrating trained militants into Jammu and Kashmir with the intent of fomenting insurgency and destabilising the region. The result was a prolonged period of violence, including the forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and a dramatic increase in attacks on civilians and Indian security personnel.
India’s suffering has been punctuated by several high-profile attacks. In 1993, a series of coordinated bombings in Mumbai — orchestrated by figures with known links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — left 257 people dead and over 1,400 injured. This marked one of the deadliest terror strikes in Indian history. The trauma deepened in 2001 when terrorists linked to JeM and LeT stormed the Indian Parliament in New Delhi, killing security personnel and bringing the two nuclear-armed nations to the brink of war. The most chilling example of Pakistan-backed terrorism came in 2008 with the Mumbai attacks. Subsequent years saw continued violence, including the 2016 attack on the Pathankot Air Force base and the devastating 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, where 40 Indian paramilitary personnel lost their lives. The Pulwama attack, carried out by a JeM operative, prompted India’s bold retaliatory airstrike on a JeM camp in Balakot — signalling a new era in India’s counter-terror strategy.
Despite growing international pressure and repeated exposure of its duplicity, Pakistan has continued to shield and enable terror networks. While denying direct involvement, it has allowed these groups to operate freely under the guise of non-State actors, using terrorism as an instrument of State policy. India’s long-standing struggle with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has not only exacted a terrible human cost but also tested the Nation’s resolve and security framework.
Operations like Sindoor are a reflection of that shift — a clear message that India will no longer tolerate terror with restraint, but will meet it with resolve, precision, and unwavering purpose. Operation Sindoor stands as a powerful culmination of India’s long struggle against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism — not just as a military response, but as a moral and strategic assertion of India’s right to defend its people. It signals a decisive shift from reactive diplomacy to proactive deterrence, reinforcing that India will no longer absorb attacks in silence. Instead, it will respond with clarity, precision, and strength. The operation is not just about avenging the tragic loss of 26 innocent lives in Pahalgam; it is a message to those who perpetuate violence that the era of impunity is over. Terrorism will be confronted not with appeasement, but with purpose and the safety and dignity of Indian lives will never be negotiable.
