 "Local residents walk through rubble of a building damaged during India's Operation Sindoor in Muridke, a town in Pakistan's Punjab province. AP")
Operation Sindoor has come as more than a military manoeuvre. With Pakistan initiating truce talks, it now becomes a heartfelt response to decades of pain and loss suffered by countless Indian families at the hands of terror groups based in Pakistan.
Operation Sindoor achieved something that gives a sense of justice to the people of India, who have long suffered due to terrorism exported by Pakistan. It has ended as far more than a military strike. It is likely to go down in times to come as a resounding response to years of terrorism fuelled from across the border.
In a single, decisive action, India sought justice for some of the darkest moments in its recent history, honouring victims and exposing the frailty of a terror network long shielded by the Pakistani state.
Pahalgam: A promise kept
After the Pahalgam terror attack, India vowed to “identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers”. Operation Sindoor was India’s way of telling every victim’s family that their pain is not forgotten, and justice, though delayed, would always find its way.
India agreed to the ceasefire following a series of decisive final strikes on Pakistan’s airbases. Operation Sindoor brought Pakistan practically to seek truce with India. Its director general of military operations made the call to his Indian counterpart requesting a ceasefire. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced the decision at a press conference on Saturday.
This development came after the Pakistani DGMO explicitly stated it would not carry out any further strikes and formally requested a ceasefire. The truce was announced by US President Donald Trump.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHowever, Indian officials later said the US had no role thus far except that they had kept both sides engaged. The US, however, played a role in de-escalation by placing direct pressure on Pakistan, linking the provisional release of a $1 billion IMF loan to immediate acceptance of the ceasefire, with the remainder contingent on full compliance.
Notably, the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty remains intact — India will not share any hydrological information with Pakistan and will proceed with water infrastructure projects on the three northern rivers. This is a major diplomatic win for India.
Additionally, the US has formally acknowledged India’s revised war doctrine, under which any future terrorist attack will be treated as an act of war.
A reckoning long overdue
Indian forces neutralised several key Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives, men who had orchestrated attacks that left deep scars in Jammu & Kashmir. Among those targeted were:
Mudassar Khadian Khas (aka Abu Jundal): Lashkar strategist, running operations from Muridke.
Hafiz Muhammed Jameel: Jaish leader, closely related to Masood Azhar, known for radicalising youth and managing terror finances.
Mohammad Yusuf Azhar (Ustad Ji): Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law, infamous for weapons training and his role in the IC-814 hijacking.
Khalid (Abu Akasha): Lashkar commander, involved in both J&K attacks and Afghan arms trafficking.
Mohammad Hassan Khan: Son of a Jaish commander, instrumental in planning Kashmir attacks.
These men, once protected in Pakistan, had orchestrated violence that left countless Indian families grieving.
Pathankot and Parliament: Settling old scores
Abdul Rauf Asghar, brother of Jaish chief Masood Azhar and mastermind behind both the Pathankot and Parliament attacks, was eliminated-offering closure to families who lost loved ones in these assaults on the nation’s heart.
26/11 Mumbai attack: No more Kasabs
Operation Sindoor targeted and destroyed camps used to train the likes of Ajmal Kasab and David Headley. The very sites that once bred terror now lie in ruins, ensuring no more Kasabs emerge from Pakistani soil.
IC-814 Hijacking (1999): A balm for national wound
Abdul Rauf Asghar, also the architect of the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking, was finally brought to justice, bringing relief to a nation that still remembers those harrowing days. He was reportedly killed in the May 7 military strikes by India on one of Pakistan’s terror hubs.
Murder of Daniel Pearl (2002): Partial closure to a grieving father
The terror networks responsible for the abduction and murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, with links to both Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda, were dismantled in targeted strikes.
As the news spread across seas, Daniel Pearl’s father Judea Pearl posted a ‘thank you’ and a clarification on social media. He said, “I want to thank all of you who reached out to me today in response to the news that India’s military forces have eliminated Abdul Rauf Azhar—a man described as ‘responsible for the kidnapping and murder of my son, Daniel’.”
He said, “I want to clarify: Azhar was a Pakistani extremist and leader of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed. While his group was not directly involved in the plot to abduct Danny, it was indirectly responsible.”
“Azhar orchestrated the hijacking that led to the release of Omar Sheikh—the man who lured Danny into captivity. Sheikh was later sentenced to death but ultimately released from prison and kept in a ‘Government Safe House’.
A message: A resolve to fight terror
Operation Sindoor has now seemingly ended, restoring a sense of justice, dignity and security for millions. For every family scarred by terror, this was a message that their pain had not been forgotten.
Operation Sindoor came as India’s powerful answer to years of cross-border terrorism, delivering long-awaited justice for victims of some of the nation’s darkest tragedies. In one bold move, India honoured its lost souls and sent a clear message that those who orchestrate terror will not escape accountability.
India, in words, conveyed to Pakistan that any future act of terror will be considered an “Act of War” and be responded accordingly. The ceasefire followed this warning.