New Delhi: In a first-of-a-kind demonstration of strategic finesse, the Indian military conducted ‘Operation Sindoor’, a multi-domain counter-terror military operation against terror infrastructure along the Line of Control (LoC), on May 6-7 at midnight. Initiated in response to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, the operation sought to use aerial precision and land-based firepower in a synergistic combination to knock down threats while using extreme restraint, deliberately, from Pakistan’s military forces.
Surgical strategy, asymmetric impact
The Indian Army-Indian Air Force synergy saw ‘terrain-specific targeting’: Army artillery units obliterated proximate terror launch pads using ‘GPS-guided munitions’, while the Air Force’s deep-strike package, comprising Rafale fighters and Su-30 MKI jets, penetrated the hostile environment to dismantle high-value terror nodes with SCALP and BrahMos missiles. Crucially, the operation adhered to a “no-troop crossover” protocol, relying on stand-off weaponry to engage targets from within Indian territory—a tactical nuance underscoring New Delhi’s calibrated approach. According to the officials, 7 targets have been destroyed by the Indian Army and 2 by the Indian Air Force
Pakistani response
Islamabad’s retaliation was less discriminate. Pakistani artillery reportedly shelled Poonch and Tangdhar sectors for more than 12 hours, targeting residential clusters in what Indian sources characterise as a “blatant breach of ceasefire norms.” The barrage killed 15 civilians and injured 43, with emergency services racing to evacuate families amid the attack. Indian counter-artillery units silenced some positions, but the indiscriminate targeting of villages has prompted strong condemnation from regional authorities.
Neutralising the terror calculus
Initial battle damage assessments indicate that 70–100 terrorists were neutralised, including top operatives associated with the Pahalgam attack. Infrared reconnaissance and drone imagery are said to corroborate the destruction of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba faction training camps, weapon storage facilities, and communications nodes. Indian Army sources indicated no Pakistani army facilities were targeted—a firewall of restraint to avoid conventional war.
The aerial gambit: EW, stealth and overmatch
The IAF’s mission architecture exemplified next-generation warfare, with Electronic Warfare (EW) Su-30s that could have jammed enemy radars, creating corridors for strike fighters. Also, the air force used precision weapons or deployed air dominance before switching to ground attacks. Further, Heron TP drones are capable of loitering upto 35000 feet, also provided real-time picture for BDA to command and control centre.
The strategic calculus
Even as tensions continue to simmer, India’s defence community has indicated preparation for aggressive counter-terrorism (CT) operations without closing diplomatic lines. Experts cite the timing of the operation—before the monsoons, when infiltration attempts usually rise—as a preemptive masterstroke. But civilian casualties in the Pakistani attacks have set off a political storm with Opposition leaders calling for UN intervention to probe reported war crimes.