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Even as the guns fall silent along the border and a ceasefire takes effect, India’s military campaign—Operation Sindoor—is far from over. The Indian Air Force, in a rare operational statement, confirmed that it has “successfully executed its assigned tasks with precision and professionalism” and emphasized that the operations are still ongoing, with a detailed briefing to follow “in due course.”
The IAF’s deliberate phrasing reflects both the strategic maturity and operational depth of India’s response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Far from being a one-off retaliatory action, Operation Sindoor marks a sustained campaign—executed discreetly yet decisively—to recalibrate the regional balance of power and eliminate the infrastructure of cross-border terrorism.
As the nation watches and the world takes note, Operation Sindoor already stands out as a watershed moment in India’s counter-terror doctrine and military assertion. Here’s why:
- Unprecedented Precision Military Strikes: Hitting the Nerve Centres
At the heart of Operation Sindoor was a clear and primary objective—to decimate Pakistan’s terror infrastructure in response to the Pahalgam Terror Attack. Indian air and missile forces struck deep inside Pakistani territory, destroying nine key terror camps, including high-value targets in Bahawalpur (Jaish-e-Mohammed) and Muridke (Lashkar-e-Taiba)—the two ideological powerhouses of cross-border terrorism. These were not symbolic hits. They were surgical, kinetic, and unprecedented in depth and precision.
- Establishing Clear Air and Land Superiority
The scale and speed of Indian strikes stunned Pakistan’s conventional military apparatus. The use of loitering munitions, stand-off precision weapons, and BrahMos cruise missiles marked a quantum leap in Indian operational capability. Pakistani bases at Skardu, Bholari, Sargodha, and Chaklala suffered extensive damage. Not since 1971 have such strategic air assets been degraded in direct strikes.
- Calling Pakistan’s Nuclear Bluff
One of the boldest strategic outcomes of Operation Sindoor was New Delhi’s open defiance of Pakistan’s long-held nuclear redline. India conducted high-impact strikes on military and radar bases with surgical precision, effectively challenging Islamabad’s nuclear threat posture. The result: Pakistan blinked—resorting to hotline diplomacy and international mediation rather than escalation.
- Diplomacy Didn’t Pause—It Marched in Step
Even as missiles flew, diplomatic pressure intensified. India sustained all measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, trade curbs, and diplomatic downgrades, keeping global opinion on its side. The ceasefire’s framing—as a “bilateral understanding” without preconditions—reasserts India’s position of strength, even as the US claims credit for brokering peace.
- Exposing the Fragility of Pakistan’s Military-Political Establishment
Operation Sindoor exposed the gap between Pakistan’s nuclear rhetoric and actual deterrence capacity. The destruction of military bases, visible on open-source satellite imagery and social media, created a psychological impact not just within the Pakistani military but also among its citizens, who witnessed their armed forces unable to shield them.
Simultaneously, the economic cost of the conflict, already reeling under inflation and a collapsing rupee, further weakened Islamabad’s internal confidence.
- Real-World Combat Validation of Indian Forces
It was India’s first real combat engagement with a state adversary in 25 years. Unlike any war game or exercise, Operation Sindoor tested the coordination, systems, and leadership of all three services in real-time. Indian forces passed that test with clarity, discipline, and effectiveness. It was a proof of concept for India’s upgraded warfighting doctrines and new-age arsenal.
- National Unity on Display
At home, the campaign galvanized rare political unity across party lines. Parliament stood behind the armed forces. Public morale was high. Media and civil society remained largely aligned with national security goals. This domestic consensus sent a powerful signal internationally—India was united when pushed to the wall.
- A New Doctrine Emerges: Every Terror Attack = Act of War
Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Operation Sindoor will be the transformation of India’s counter-terror doctrine. By treating the Pahalgam terror attack as an act of war—and responding with deep strikes into Pakistan’s military infrastructure—India has redefined its rules of engagement. Any future cross-border terrorism will now invite state-level kinetic retribution, not restrained diplomatic protest.
What Lies Ahead
The declared ceasefire, for all its significance, is still a pause, not peace. The true success of Operation Sindoor will be measured not just by destroyed targets but by deterrence achieved and the strategic clarity it imposes on future engagements.
If Pakistan dares to test India again, it does so, knowing that retaliation will be swift, deep, and potentially existential. If peace holds, the operation will go down as the boldest display of Indian statecraft and military resolve in the 21st century.
Achievements:
- Operation Sindoor is a game-changer.
- It has neutralized terror hubs, shattered Pakistan’s military confidence, and redrawn India’s red lines.
- It validated Indian military readiness and galvanized national unity.
- And most importantly, it ushered in a new deterrence-based doctrine with global ramifications.
12 May may test the truce, but Operation Sindoor has already secured India’s strategic victory.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
