Operation Sindhoor and its impact Prabhat Khabar 09 May 2025
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Operation Sindhoor and its impact Prabhat Khabar 09 May 2025
Almost two weeks after the dastardly Pahalgam attack which targeted innocent 26 tourists, including one from Nepal, the Indian armed forces struck back at the perpetrators in ‘Operation Sindhoor.’ They hit nine Pak terrorist camps spread across the country in a coordinated tri-service assault. The targets included camps affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the two known terrorist groups. The targeting was precise, with no collateral damage.
The Indian statement, issued immediately after the operation mentioned, ‘The actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible. They focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists likely to be sent across to India.’ India added that no Pak military installations were hit, hinting to Pak that further escalation will not be to its advantage.
Based on the cross-border attack after Uri and the Balakote strike after Pulwama, Pakistan had prepared itself for a similar action, however what unfolded was vastly different. The army targeted terrorist camps close to the LoC, while the air force those in depth. The effectiveness was evident when JeM head Masood Azar admitted that ten members of his family were killed in the strike.
Precision ammunition was employed, implying all engagements were carried out from own side of the border, and hence there were no dogfights nor did Pak air defences react by engaging Indian aircraft. The messaging was clear; India will retaliate and will do so hard and at a time and place of its own choosing in case of any terrorist strike which crosses its level of tolerance.
The targets were specifically chosen. In just about 25 minutes of multiple actions, over 70 terrorists were killed in POK and Pakistan. The strikes were closely monitored by the PM and his cabinet. This has shaken the Pakistan armed forces and their puppet government, who thought that their preparedness and nuclear rattling would keep India at bay. The attack was unexpected as India had marked 07 May for mock drills. China’s famed air defence systems failed to track and destroy a single missile.
What was different this time was use of technologically superior ammunition as also close monitoring of targets prior, during and post the strike, employing drones and satellites. Further, it was a joint services operation with a high degree of integration. The HQ responsible for coordination had ensured every minute aspect. The joint briefing, post the incident, displayed videos of the actual strike, leaving none in doubt of what India had done.
Immediately after the strike, Pakistan commenced its disinformation war by claiming that it had downed a number of Indian aircraft. The figures ranged from two to six. It considered dropped additional fuel tanks (part of a normal routine) as reports of aircraft clashes. India refuted the claims.
Videos released by Pak, to justify its claims, were of earlier training crashes in India, as also from air warfare video games. Each one was individually debunked. For Pakistan, it was a desperate attempt to save face before its own people and the world. Unlike the cross-border and Balakote strikes, it could no longer hide its casualties. Pak PM, Shehbaz Sharief mentioned that India had employed 70-80 aircraft for the strike, a figure vastly exaggerated.
What will be the impact of the Indian strike? Prior to 2104, India only responded by ‘Kadi Ninda.’ This opened doors for Pakistan to expand its terror operations in India. Terrorist strikes were a regular feature. Post Uri, when India hit back with a cross-border strike, there was three years of low-level terrorism. Then came Pulwama, when India responded with Balakote. The gap between Pulwama and Pahalgam has been six years. Now with these multiple strikes, the message has firmly gone. Hopefully, India will see a few years of peace and development.
The next question is whether Pakistan will respond. While the world appealed for peace, Pakistan knew it must do something to save face. Post the National Security Council meeting in Islamabad, the Pak PM authorized the army chief to retaliate. Simultaneously, a message flowed from Pakistan mentioning that if India does not expand the conflict, Pakistan will not do so. Its disinformation campaign on downing India’s superior aircraft is being touted as victory for the present.
The Pakistan army, which was behind the terrorist strike, has been embarrassed. It needs to act to maintain its control over the country and polity, especially since it has faced failures in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Further, its locking Imran Khan behind bars has alienated it from the masses.
It therefore needs a strategy to avoid further strikes by India while protecting its image. It is aware it lacks resources to sustain a major conflict. Hence, if it does retaliate, it will seek targets with minimum collateral damage. Hence, a likelihood of accepting a mediation effort is possible as a face-saving. Currently India and Pak NSAs would have established communication through third parties. The next few days would determine what the future would be.
Indian armed forces are prepared for any expansion of conflict. Their capabilities and stockpiles of oil and ammunition are far better than Pakistan. Hence, all Pakistan would hope for is keeping operations localized along the LoC. Their further concern is that by debunking the Shimla agreement, the LoC is no longer demarcated, implying if India gains any posts, it could be retained. Any such incident would be more embarrassing.
Pakistan faces multiple dilemmas. India’s response to Pahalgam has been well rounded. The scrapping of the IWT (Indus Water Treaty) has placed Pakistan’s economy and population on notice. Even if India curtails the water flow by 20% Pakistan’s upcoming Kharif season would be impacted. A report in the Dawn of 07 May mentioned that their Khanpur Dam which provides water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi has just 35 days of water left. Though the dam does not depend on flows from rivers under the IWT, it indicates the future in case water supply stops.
The ball is in Pakistan’s court. We will have to wait and watch.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army