How Operation Sindoor symbolises calibrated, coordinated tri-service response

In the early hours of Wednesday (at 01:44 am), India launched Operation Sindoor, hitting nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes were in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people, including one Nepalese, were killed with extreme barbarity.

With Operation Sindoor, India exercised its right to respond and preempt, as well as deter more such cross-border attacks, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. He also added that the attack was also designed to spread communal tension in India. “It was important to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice,” he said, adding that Pakistan has a well-deserved reputation for being a haven for terrorism.

These kinetic measures were a follow-up of non-kinetic measures taken soon after the attack, which include suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, reducing diplomatic presence, asking Pakistani citizens in India to return, stopping trade and closure of airspace.

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There have also been increased violations of the Line of Control, with Pakistan resorting to heavy firing in Bhimber Gali in the Poonch-Rajouri Sector. There are reports that ten people have been killed and 38 injured by Pakistani shelling. Firing on the LoC was expected, as there are no other viable targets.

The strikes have been carried out before a planned civil defence security drill across 244 districts of the country for “effective civil defence in the event of a hostile attack”.

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Shortly after the attack, the Indian Army on X posted, ‘Justice has been served, Jai Hind.’

The strikes

The air strikes were aimed at specific terrorist camps used to plan and direct attacks on Indian soil. As per the Defence Ministry, the “actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature.”

The ministry further clarified that the operations did not target Pakistani military facilities, underscoring India’s intent to avoid escalation. Emphasising the strategic restraint exercised by the Indian forces, the Defence Ministry said the selection of targets and method of execution were deliberately calibrated. “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution,” the ministry said.

The nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir included Muridke and Bahawalpur, which are the strongholds of terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, respectively. In these two targets, around 25-30 terrorists were killed at each site.

All the nine terror camps were successfully destroyed. The selection of the targets was based on credible intelligence inputs and the role of these facilities in perpetrating the terror activities over the years, including Ajmal Kasab and David Headley being trained at one of the camps targeted. These were locations from where recruitment, indoctrination, training and launching occurred.

Precision strike weapon systems of the three forces, the Army, Navy and Air Force, were used in the attacks as per sources. The forces also used kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, weapons designed to crash into a target, typically carrying a warhead. Prior to the attacks, there is no doubt that precise intelligence would have been gathered regarding the presence of the terrorists and the locations. There is no doubt that there has been tremendous coordination between the three services in planning and execution, and the attacks demonstrated precision technology, careful selection of targets and clinical efficiency in execution.

In 2016, India carried out precision surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control in PoJK ten days after the Uri attacks, in which four Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists from Pakistan killed 16 soldiers.

In February 2019, a vehicle-borne suicide bomber from JeM targeted a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Pulwama, killing 40 soldiers. India responded with force, and the Indian Air Force struck terror camps in Balakot on 26 February, across the international border in Pakistan. This was the first time since the 1971 war that the Indian Air Force crossed the international border for military action.

India is prepared for potential retaliation by Pakistan, and there are reports that the air-defence units along the border have been activated. Several flights across the country have also been cancelled and airspace closed to civilian travel. There are also reports that intense artillery fire has opened up over the Line of Control.

National sentiment

The terror attack has marked a significant shift in the contemporary security narrative, destabilising regional equilibrium and resurrecting cross-border terrorism.

The assault also raised questions about Pakistan’s claims to be a responsible actor and calls for a recalibration of Pakistan’s internal security strategy to neutralise non-state actors and reassure the world community of its commitment to counterterrorism.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated to President Putin in 2022 that “this is not an era of war”, the national sentiment has reignited a familiar cycle of grief and anger and a desire for punitive action. It was therefore not surprising that on April 24, in a rare shift from Hindi, he delivered a warning in English: “India will identify and punish every terrorist and their backers. It was now politically unaffordable not to take a kinetic action."

Prime Minister Modi monitored the operation through the night, as per sources. Soon after the operation, NSA Ajit Doval spoke with US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and briefed him on the actions taken. Rubio then posted on his X handle: “I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo @POTUS’ comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”

China has expressed concern, urging both nations to avoid escalating tensions. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for restraint and said, “We are concerned about the ongoing situation. India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbours. They are also China’s neighbours.”

“China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation,” the spokesperson added. The statement is significant as Pakistan sees China as an all-weather friend.

Pakistan’s reaction

Pakistan’s Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said, “This attack is unjustified and an absolutely blind aggression.” “We will obviously retaliate… Our response is on the ground and in the air.”

Their military spokesperson has said that there were 24 impacts at six locations, killing eight and injuring 35 persons, while two people are missing. There are also reports that LeT’s Hafiz Abdul Malik and Mudassir were killed in last night’s strike on Markaz Tayyeba in Muridke.

There will now be a lot of misinformation from Pakistan, which will include the deaths of women and children and the targeting of mosques in the attacks, etc. This is something that needs to be guarded against and countered.

Conclusion

While it is a step on the escalatory ladder. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted, which has sent a message that India is only targeting the breeding grounds of terrorism. Further, the Line of Control and International Border have not been violated by boots on ground.

India’s action reaffirms its commitment to bringing perpetrators of terror attacks to justice. “We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the Defence Ministry said.

This is also the first time since the 1971 war that all three services have been used together to target Pakistan and PoK-based targets. Even though there were expectations that India could launch some sort of military action based on Indian announcements, the scale and intensity of the missile attacks inside Pakistan have surprised many. There has also been an evolution from manned ground raids post-Uri to precision strikes, which reflects India’s increasing reliance on technology, minimising risks to its own personnel while maximising range and demonstrating sophistication.

India’s response to Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism must focus on long-term strategies that impose costs that prevent it from using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.The symbolism of this hard-hitting strike, therefore, is as important as the strike itself. “Victory to India” is what Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote.

There are a range of options across the spectrum of conflict that are available with the government, which will be used at the appropriate time and manner. Presently, India has demonstrated its tri-services professionalism and capability with a calibrated response that has been calculated with power and resolve.

The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.