Opinion | Indian Strikes on Terror Sites in PoJK and Pakistan

“If you hit us, we will hit you too—guided by this resolve, the Indian Army responded with unmatched precision, sleepless courage, and unwavering commitment to defend the nation’s honour.”

Operation Sindoor Indian precision military strikes were carried out on May 7, 2025 against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Pakistan. These strikes were in retaliation to a deadly terrorist attack on April 22, 2025 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 Indian civilians mostly tourists were killed.

A terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in the Baisaran meadow, unleashed close to the Pahalgam tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir, set off the conflict. Pakistan-based militant groups, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, claimed responsibility of the attack that left 26 people, most of them tourists, dead. Indian leaders, such as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and the Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh among others, condemned the attack and accused Pakistan of aiding and abetting terrorism. Pakistan rejected these allegations, whereas India referred to its intelligence that the attackers, of which at least two were Pakistani nationals, had terrorists links across the Line of Control (LoC).

The attack devastated the plans of Indian government to encourage tourism in Kashmir which was marred with decades of militancy, but had scenic beauty. Indian officials termed the incident as a conscious effort to destabilize the region and thus a quick and resolute action would be taken.

Operation Sindoor was an operation conducted by India on May 7, 2025 against nine terror targets in six cities in PoJK and Pakistan, among them Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Bahawalpur. More than 100 terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen have been killed in these strikes and important terror camps, bunkers and hideouts have been destroyed. Indian forces dealt with sophisticated missiles and Harpy drones, which assure accuracy and minimal collateral damage. Pakistani military facilities such as radar installations, communication centres and airbases were also affected by the operation. Indian leaders termed the attacks as “calibrated and targeted” and they were directed at terrorist facilities only. India displayed her strategic precision by destroying nine major terrorists hideouts.

In response, Pakistan carried out cross-border shelling and drone attacks between May 8 and May 10, firing at positions along the Line of Control (LoC), Poonch, Rajouri and Akhnoor. The attack had a great toll on Indian civilians, as 27 people died, and more than 70 were injured in Jammu, leaving thousands of people to run to relief camps. Indian authorities condemned Pakistani shelling which landed in civilian spots, a school, a gurudwara, and homes in Poonch. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made it clear that India was attacking terrorists only, unlike what Pakistan was doing. In Poonch, a live Pakistani shell was defused by the bomb disposal squad of Indian Army avoiding any further damage.

The four-day tension culminated to the brink of war between India and Pakistan but a ceasefire negotiated by the US on May 10, 2025, that lasted until May 18, stopped the combat. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar of Pakistan suggested a composite dialogue but India insisted that the talks must be restricted to terrorism and PoJK.

Indian leaders declared operation Sindoor a military and strategic success. Visiting defence minister Rajnath Singh, when he went to Srinagar and Bhuj, lauded the accuracy and courage of the armed forces by saying, whatever you did during operation Sindoor has made every Indian proud. Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi commended the involved soldiers, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar declared an international initiative to reveal the role of Pakistan in supporting terrorism. The other incident that raised concerns about water-sharing dynamics in the region was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India due to the lack of action against terrorism by Pakistan.

On the international level, India tried to gather support to its activities. A Indian delegation headed by JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha visited Seoul and Abu Dhabi to convey Indian position on terrorism, the new normal of hitting back in case of an attack: “If you hit us, we will hit you too.” The United Nations, via Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, condemned the Pahalgam attack, but was criticised by India over failing to name Pakistan-sponsored organisations such as the Resistance Front (TRF) in its statement, apparently under pressure from Pakistan.

Pakistan, on its part, experienced diplomatic problems. Its reprisal attacks on civilian targets and inability to control terrorism questioned its credibility. Satellite photographs supported Indian arguments of minimal, accurate destruction on Pakistani military installations, whilst evidence of Pakistani attacks on Indian bases were non-conclusive.

There was intense impact on the Indian border communities in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan. The people in Poonch, Rajouri and Nowshera had to suffer shelling, loss of livestock and damage to property and a number of them took shelter in relief camps. The Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Surinder Choudhry assured the displaced families of government assistance. The security was heightened and the intelligence services went on surveillance to monitor cross border terror connections. Four Pakistan-based operatives were seized and properties owned by them had been taken over, posters of three Pakistani terrorists associated with Pahalgam had been distributed to facilitate their apprehension.

The perfection with which Operation Sindoor was carried out is not the only factor that defines its success but the indomitable spirit of the Indian Army, which remained upright in the wake of such severe provocation. All those airstrikes and ground offensives demonstrated that defence of the nation is not only the job our troops are doing–defence is a solemn oath they keep day in and day out, in silence or in flame. Their eyes were never taken off the mission, their minds were never dull of strategic thinking and their hearts were never dulled in the passion they had towards the tricolour that no amount of adversities could deter.

As the enemy opened the indiscriminate shelling on civilian settlements in Poonch, Rajouri, and Akhnoor, the Indian Army did not forget its values. They retaliated with precise force not to seek revenge, but to destroy the terror apparatus. Soldiers laboured in the hard to reach areas and under constant danger, away form their families, with no rest at all, so that the regular citizens would live in peace. It did not deter them, the sleepless nights, the sirens, the world watching them every step of the way- they came out as pillars of strength and comfort to the nation.

The nation is filled with tales of these heroic soldiers, in Srinagar to Bhuj, in every nook and corner of the nation, these are the pride of the country. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was right when he stated that the operation resulted in every Indian feeling proud, not only due to its result, but also because of the manner in which it was handled- with dignity, determination and with the greatest level of precision. The Army Chief and the overall command structure displayed the aspect of leading from the front and none of the lives of the Indian military persons were lost in the process of attacking deep into the enemy territory. This kind of unity of brilliance is not created in a day- it is created through endless discipline, sacrifice and having the conviction in the security and sovereignty of the country.

Operation Sindoor is an indication of the induction of pre-emptive counter-terrorism in India, using technology and intelligence to eliminate threats without any loss to the Indian side. The operation had the effect of firming up domestic opinion in support of Indian strong action against terrorism. The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and demand of international investigation into terrorism is an indication of a strong diplomatic policy in India. The dialogue advocated by Pakistan and the terrorism-cantered policy of India indicate a low possibility of a dialogue.

Operation Sindoor illustrated the determination of India to fight terrorism using refined military force, a retaliation to the Pahalgam attack, and crippling terror channels. This success of the operation whereby not a single Indian military personnel was lost highlighted the competency of the armed forces and increased national pride. Nevertheless, human losses among the Indian civilians on the LoC demonstrate the necessity of de-escalation. With India continuing its anti-terrorism crusade the world over, the ceasefire has held though the terrorism from Pakistan continues to pose a tricky challenge that needs continuous diplomatic efforts.

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