Following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack that murdered 26 Hindu pilgrims, India began Operation Sindoor, which executed precision airstrikes on terrorist infrastructure within Pakistani and Pakistan-administered Kashmir territory. The Resistance Front revealed itself as a Lashkar-e-Taiba branch following the April 22 terror strike that killed Hindu pilgrims at Pahalga,m then ignited national anger and worldwide scrutiny.

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar made it clear that “India will always advocate zero tolerance for terrorism and call out any effort to normalise it.”Operation Sindoor functions as a practical implementation of that doctrine.

What Was Operation Sindoor?

India executed joint military strikes against nine terrorist sites throughout the border territory on May 6 2025.Operation Sindoor aimed to destroy terrorism command and training facilities controlled by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed from their bases in Pakistan’s territory.

The nine targeted locations were:

• Muzaffarabad (PoK) – Two camps targeted.

• Kotli (PoK) – One training facility.

• Balakot (PoK) – Revival of a previously hit Jaish-e-Mohammed site.

• Bhimber (PoK) – Logistics hub destroyed.

• Mirpur (PoK) – Communications and arms depot.

• Rawalakot (PoK) – Launch pad for infiltration dismantled.

• Bahawalpur (Punjab, Pakistan) – JeM headquarters hit.

• Multan (Punjab) – Safehouse believed to house foreign-trained militants.

• Faisalabad (Punjab) – Terror finance and propaganda centre.

The Ministry of Defence in India described the operation as “precise” while adding that it was both “limited” and “non-escalatory” without targeting Pakistani military bases.Visual imagery from satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles documented multiple terror camp destruction sites.

The Pahalgam Trigger

An attack during April 22 struck unarmed visitors at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The attackers executed their strike by combining automatic rifles with grenades during their quick-moving ambush.India suffered over 20 injuries from the shockwave of this attack.

A Pakistan-backed proxy group known as the Resistance Front took immediate responsibility for the attack. Under extreme political and military leadership pressure, India established Operation Sindoor through quick strategising and execution within fourteen days.

Pakistan’s Reaction and Escalation

The Pakistani government declared these operations amounted to “an act of war” while simultaneously alleging damage to civilians and accusing India of violating its territorial sovereignty. During the aerial military response, nine civilians lost their lives together, including one child. The attack additionally wounded 38 other civilians.

Pakistan announced they destroyed five Indian aircraft before starting cross-border artillery attacks. Military firefights across the Line of Control produced additional civilian casualty counts, which triggered concerns about possible broad military actions. Each nation ordered home their ambassadors and put a stop to all business interactions.

Jaishankar’s Message: Zero Tolerance

Throughout his career, Dr. S. Jaishankar has persistently condemned nations that support or validate terrorist groups. He affirmed that post-strike terrorism represents an unsanctionable activity which lacks political legitimacy. The world becomes a more risky place, according to him, when nations adopt terrorism as just another statecraft method.

He repeated India’s historical support for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN while acknowledging the difficulties due to political differences between nations.

International Response

World nations showed a reserved outlook as they reacted to events. The United States, alongside the United Nations and China and European Union leaders urged India and Pakistan to show “maximum restraint.” World leaders identified India’s right to defend itself from foreign terrorism during this changing international attitude.

Privately, several Western intelligence agencies reportedly confirmed the existence of terror camps in the struck areas, indirectly justifying India’s actions.

The Message Behind Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor exists as more than a simple military operation because it functionally communicates a powerful statement. India demonstrates through Operation Sindoor its concrete readiness to move past political statements by delivering direct counterterrorism measures. The delivery of the strikes focused on both intense effectiveness alongside measured responses.

Operation Sindoor served India’s purpose to establish both security deterrence and retribution and reinforce national defence doctrine. The operational response of democracies to state-sponsored terrorism becomes the world’s study within a climate that sees rising geopolitical polarisation.

Conclusion

The military campaign “Operation Sindoor delivers a sobering understanding to the world about terrorism: Defeating terrorism needs military capabilities combined with worldwide cooperation to succeed. According to Jaishankar’s accurate observation, the world needs to enforce a zero-tolerance policy free from double standards and political concessions.

India’s current relations with Pakistan move into uncertain territory as observers watch whether this cross-border operation establishes permanent diplomatic change or simply continues previous conflicts in Pakistan-India history. India will defend its citizens no matter what while demanding full support from the international community.