Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back After Pahalgam Attack

On April 22, 2025, the serene valleys of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir were shattered by a brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 28 individuals, including 26 Hindu tourists, a Nepali national, and a local Muslim who attempted to intervene. The attackers, armed with M4 carbines, targeted victims based on their faith, forcing them to recite Islamic verses to prove their religion. The atrocity was captured on video by a survivor, igniting national outrage and calls for justice.

Investigations by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified key suspects:

• Adil Hussain Thoker: A local from Anantnag.

• Ali Bhai (a.k.a Talha Bhai): A Pakistani national.

• Hashim Musa (a.k.a Suleiman): A former Pakistani paramilitary operative.

The NIA linked the attack to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF). While TRF initially claimed responsibility, they retracted their statement days later. The investigation also pointed to logistical and operational support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and elements of the Pakistan Army.

In response, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, expelled Pakistani diplomats, and closed the Wagah-Attari border. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared, “We will reach the conspirators, wherever they hide.”

On May 7, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision air and missile strikes targeting nine high-value sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. These included training camps, arms depots, and communication hubs associated with LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed. India reported approximately 70 militants killed and significant terrorist infrastructure destroyed.

Pakistan condemned the strikes as an unprovoked act of war, alleging civilian casualties, including women and children, and damage to mosques and residential areas. The Pakistani military claimed to have shot down five Indian jets and vowed to retaliate at a time and place of its choosing. Emergency was declared in Pakistan’s Punjab province, with international flights suspended.

Global leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, called for restraint and urged both nations to de-escalate tensions. China expressed regret over India’s military action and emphasized the need for peace and stability in the region.

Following the strikes, intense cross-border shelling ensued. In Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani artillery fire resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians and injuries to 45 others. Evacuations were carried out in affected areas, and security was heightened across the region.

Amidst the escalating conflict, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh condemned the violence, stating, “War devours the innocent,” and urged both India and Pakistan to pursue peace.

Operation Sindoor represents a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan. While intended as a targeted response to a heinous terrorist attack, the operation has intensified hostilities and raised concerns about a broader conflict. As both nations navigate this precarious situation, the international community watches closely, hoping for a return to dialogue and a lasting resolution to the Kashmir dispute.

This isn’t just another chapter in an endlessly recycled Indo-Pakistan conflict narrative. The Pahalgam attack was a communal wound — a visceral reminder of how easily human lives become currency in a geopolitical poker game. The retaliation, though inevitable, rekindled anxieties of a full-scale war between two nuclear states.

For India, Operation Sindoor might be a morale booster — a display of zero tolerance and technological precision. But it also raises a perennial question: How long can surgical strikes replace diplomatic strategy? And how many more valleys must bleed before the world stops calling for restraint and starts calling out the rot?

In the end, Kashmir weeps. Borders harden. And the ghost of saffron-stained rivers haunts both sides of a line drawn in blood and ink decades ago.