In a historic national address on May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the significance of Operation Sindoor—a decisive, tri-services counter-terror mission launched in response to the April 22 massacre of 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The operation marked a seismic shift in India’s approach to cross-border terrorism and strategic military deterrence, particularly in the context of nuclear-armed adversaries.
Key Developments:
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Scope and Scale of Operation Sindoor:
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The operation involved coordinated strikes by the Indian Army along the LoC, the Indian Air Force (IAF) deep inside Pakistani territory, and the Indian Navy off the coast of Karachi.
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This marked India’s first tri-services offensive against Pakistan and the first time a nuclear-armed state (India) used its air force to strike another nuclear power (Pakistan).
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Precision and Impact:
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The initial strikes beginning May 7 involved precision-guided missiles and BrahMos attacks targeting key terror infrastructure, including Jaish-e-Mohammed’s headquarters where Maulana Masood Azhar was based.
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The IAF and PAF engaged in one of the largest air battles of the 21st century.
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Pakistan responded with drone and ballistic missile attacks on Indian airbases, notably firing a Fatah-2 ballistic missile at Sirsa airbase in Haryana.
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Phase 3 Response:
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On May 10, India launched a pre-dawn counterstrike, targeting major Pakistani military installations including Chaklala and Sargodha airbases, sending a clear signal by attacking areas close to Pakistan’s nuclear command infrastructure.
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Indian officials estimate that 20% of Pakistan Air Force’s infrastructure was damaged, 50 personnel killed, and many key airbases rendered non-operational.
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Strategic Significance:
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The operation challenges the longstanding Nuclear Weapons Enabled Terrorism (NWET) doctrine, under which Pakistan believed it could shelter behind its nuclear arsenal while sponsoring terrorism in India.
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India’s military strikes remained below Pakistan’s stated nuclear thresholds (loss of territory, internal destabilization, economic blockade, or destruction of war machinery), thus avoiding full-scale escalation.
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Historical Context:
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This operation breaks with India’s past restraint, notably during the 2001 Parliament attack (Operation Parakram) and 1999 Kargil War, when fear of nuclear escalation curbed military retaliation.
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Modi, unlike his predecessors, has incrementally expanded India’s retaliatory playbook—2016 surgical strikes, 2019 Balakot airstrike, and now, a multi-dimensional campaign under Operation Sindoor.
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Political Message:
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Modi framed the mission as a new normal in India’s counter-terror policy. He stated, “Pakistan had prepared for an attack on the border, but India struck at the heart of Pakistan.”
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He emphasized there would be no differentiation between terrorists and their state sponsors and vowed precise action against terrorist sanctuaries, even under nuclear threat.
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Strategic Outcomes and Costs:
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The strikes imposed a massive cost on Pakistan’s military infrastructure—possibly exceeding the value of the $1 billion IMF bailout received on May 9.
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Pakistan’s habitual reliance on low-cost terrorism has now provoked India’s high-cost military response, recalibrating the risk-reward calculus for GHQ Rawalpindi.
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Conclusion:
Operation Sindoor represents a paradigm shift in South Asia’s security architecture. It shattered the myth that nuclear deterrence gives Pakistan impunity to wage proxy war via terrorism. PM Modi’s speech not only laid out a hardened doctrine of zero tolerance for terror but also showcased India’s willingness to employ comprehensive military force below the nuclear threshold. As military strategists analyze this operation in the years ahead, the focus will remain on whether Pakistan’s military will revise its terror strategy—or face even costlier consequences in the future.
