In the early hours of May 7, 2025, the Indian armed forces launched a measured but forceful military response to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, executing coordinated missile strikes in what is now being referred to as Operation Sindoor. The name, symbolically invoking both the sacred vermillion mark worn by Indian women and the grievous national wound left by the attack, underscored the weight of the message: India will no longer absorb cross-border terrorism without consequence.
For a nation mourning the loss of 26 civilians—25 Indians and one Nepali—killed while on pilgrimage in Pahalgam, the response was not about vengeance but about establishing accountability, deterrence, and national resolve.
The sentiment was captured in a powerful two-part cartoon by Gilbi that circulated widely on X (formerly Twitter) today. In the first panel, a woman watches her husband gunned down by a terrorist in Pahalgam. The assailant sneers, “Go and tell Modi.” In the second panel, published this morning after the missile strikes, the woman—now resolute—replies, “I told Modi.” The juxtaposition struck a chord nationwide and reflects the larger message of the operation: that India will not allow such acts to go unanswered.
A carefully calculated strike
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier warning that the response to Pahalgam would be “unimaginable” proved prescient. At exactly 1:44 AM on May 7, India fired 24 missiles from land-based platforms within its territory, targeting nine carefully chosen sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to defence sources, these targets were verified through multi-source intelligence and were chosen to avoid civilian or military Pakistani state infrastructure, thereby limiting the risk of wider escalation.
Targeted locations in Operation Sindoor
These targets represented a cross-section of terror infrastructure, from training facilities and weapons depots to residential quarters of high-value operatives. Officials confirmed that over 70 terrorists were killed and around 60 injured in the strikes. Among the casualties were close family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar—reportedly including his son, two nephews, and four senior aides. The loss prompted an unusual internal acknowledgement from the otherwise media-shy cleric.
Precision and restraint
India’s Ministry of Defence described the operation as an act of “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible self-defence.” Speaking from New Delhi, Ambassador Vivek Misri, along with senior military officers including Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, presented detailed maps and footage from the operation. They emphasised the use of real-time satellite imaging and electronic surveillance, and noted the coordination between Army, Navy, and Air Force intelligence in selecting the targets.
Officials clarified that the objective was neither to provoke war nor seek vengeance, but to prevent future attacks by neutralising the infrastructure that enables them. The restraint shown in avoiding civilian centres and state military installations was part of this broader strategic calculation.
Pakistan’s response and emerging fractures
Pakistan’s response, both official and unofficial, reflected confusion and unease. At a late-night briefing, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry of the Inter-Services Public Relations acknowledged that Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Ahmed East had been hit. He reported the death of one child and injuries to two civilians and claimed a missile had struck the Subhanullah mosque in Bahawalpur—an assertion India has contested with satellite imagery showing no such structure in the targeted area.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office condemned the strikes as a “reckless escalation,” while also accusing India of aggression. Simultaneously, ceasefire violations were reported along the Line of Control, particularly in the Bhimber Gali area near Poonch and Rajauri. The Indian Army responded with restrained but firm counter-fire, ensuring the conflict remained localised.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called armed conflict with India “inevitable,” but such rhetoric appears aimed more at managing internal pressure than launching immediate military action. Observers note that the inability of Pakistan’s security establishment to protect high-value terror infrastructure has exposed not only tactical shortcomings but also renewed scrutiny of its role in harbouring militant actors.
A Shift in strategic posture
The Pahalgam massacre, targeting civilians in a region associated with pilgrimage and peace, marked a turning point in India’s security doctrine. The national mood—grieving yet defiant—demanded not symbolic gestures but concrete action. Operation Sindoor signals a recalibration of thresholds and the articulation of what officials describe as a “doctrine of proportional resolve.”
While India has conveyed its readiness to escalate if provoked further, it continues to assert its preference for stability. However, as sources in North Block confirmed, New Delhi is no longer willing to accept international lectures on restraint from those disengaged from the region’s complex security realities.
Today, as prayers continue for the victims of Pahalgam, the broader message of Operation Sindoor stands tall: India will defend its people, its dignity, and its peace—not through words, but through deliberate and calibrated action.
