Critically examine the significance of Operation Sindoor at such a difficult time for India along with a detailed analysis of its execution.
On May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision air and missile strikes targeting Nine Terror Linked Sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. This operation was a direct response to the Pahalgam Terror Attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a group linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with India attributing its support to Pakistan.
The precise execution of Operation Sindoor:
The Operation Sindoor witnessed attack on 9 locations identified as terror sites (4 locations in the territory of Pakistan whereas 5 within the region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir).
Weapons Involved in Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor involved the use of modern, high-precision weapons by the Indian Armed Forces. These weapons were chosen to ensure accurate strikes with minimal damage to civilians or property. The Indian Air Force (IAF) used advanced systems like SCALP Cruise Missiles, HAMMER Bombs, and Loitering Munitions.
Significance of Operation Sindoor:
- India’s Ministry of Defence described Operation Sindoor as a “focused, measured, and non-escalatory” mission aimed solely at dismantling terrorist infrastructure. The strikes deliberately avoided Pakistani military installations and were conducted based on precise intelligence to minimize civilian casualties.
- Rightly served as a avenging yet cautious attack following the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir which led to huge chaos in India.
- India stated that the operation was part of its commitment to ensuring accountability for the terrorist behind the Pahalgam attack.
- The nature and impact of the attack might serve as a deterrent for any potential terror attacks on India in the near future.
- By cautiously avoiding major Pakistan military infrastructure, it once again proved India’s leadership in the fight against terrorism.
Security related and other consequences:
- Srinagar Airport has been shut down completely. No commercial flights are operating from the airfield.
- Airports in Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, and Bikaner are all suspended or disrupted.
- Several flights have been cancelled or diverted due to restricted airspace and security protocols following the strikes.
- Kashmir issue once again gaining global traction and is creating needless polarisation in some places apart from huge support (implicitly and explicitly) to India.
In the rise of recent events, India has prolonged its stride in fight against terrorism and this has led to India’s new doctrine against terrorism resting on three key elements: a response on India’s terms; no tolerance for terror that hides under “nuclear blackmail”; and no distinction between the terrorists, their leaders and a government that sponsors them.
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