Operation Sindoor targets militant camps as tensions spike between nuclear neighbours.
India has conducted missile strikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, in what it describes as a “focused and non-escalatory” response to a deadly terror attack last month in Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes, launched under the codename Operation Sindoor, mark a significant escalation in the 2025 India–Pakistan standoff.
The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that nine locations were targeted in the early hours of Tuesday morning, including sites in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, and Muridke. The strikes reportedly focused on infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, groups India holds responsible for the 22 April attack in Pahalgam which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu pilgrims.
Officials in Pakistan reported explosions and a power blackout in Muzaffarabad, and stated that at least one child was killed and two injured in Bahawalpur—claims that remain unverified. A spokesperson for Pakistan’s military, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said that Islamabad would “respond at a time and place of its choosing.”
What Prompted Operation Sindoor
The missile strikes follow one of the deadliest attacks in Kashmir in recent years. On 22 April, gunmen affiliated with the Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, opened fire on civilians in Pahalgam. India responded swiftly, blaming Pakistan for providing sanctuary and logistical support to the attackers. Diplomatic ties frayed rapidly, with both sides recalling senior envoys, and New Delhi threatening to suspend elements of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Tensions rose further when Pakistan test-fired ballistic missiles on 3 May, and India began mobilising additional forces near the Line of Control. The atmosphere was volatile, but India’s decision to launch stand-off missile strikes—rather than air raids—was intended to signal resolve without crossing a threshold that might trigger wider conflict.
India’s armed forces emphasised that no Pakistani military installations were targeted and that the operation was designed to avoid civilian harm. However, social media posts from Indian military accounts featured the message “Justice is served”, alongside the hashtag #PahalgamTerrorAttack, underlining the symbolic nature of the action.
Restraint Urged
International reaction was swift. The United States, China, and the European Union all urged calm, with U.S. State Department officials calling for “de-escalation and dialogue to prevent further conflict between two nuclear-armed nations.”
Defence analysts noted parallels with India’s 2019 Balakot airstrike, which also targeted terror camps following a deadly attack on Indian paramilitary forces. However, the use of precision missiles this time, and the decision to avoid Pakistani airspace, represent an evolution in India’s operational posture—suggesting a greater reliance on long-range precision strike capabilities.
The Indian government framed Operation Sindoor as part of a broader doctrine of deterrence through rapid retaliation against cross-border terrorism. While the immediate tactical objectives appear to have been achieved—striking what New Delhi calls “terrorist infrastructure”—questions remain about the longer-term effect on militant networks.
Pakistan’s promise of retaliation ensures that tensions will remain high. The risk of a tit-for-tat cycle escalating into broader military confrontation remains very real, especially given both nations’ nuclear capabilities and history of open conflict.
I wonder if two tier knew.
Give it a rest
Give what a rest exactly? It’s a perfectly valid question or is it the reference to Keir Starmer being called Two Tier that you object to?
Give the political pandering a rest. And the fact that people calling Keir two tier have two braincells.
I think the ‘two tier’ acronym first appeared in the Telegraph- a political device which is intended to imply that Starmer is divisive and prejudiced ( against Telegraph readers ). A lemon which was squeezed dry some time ago.
Well done India.
I recall a lot of claims and counter-claims in the previous escalation back in 2019(?), but was the outcome ever verified? I think India claimed to have shot down an F16, and admitted that it lost a mig 21.
I hope US military aid to Pakistan has also be scaled back or stopped completely, as they are awfully cosy with China these days.
One positive for the the US in the pacific theatre is that, despite its rapid build up of forces, China will be increasingly keeping a large chunk of it’s fighting mass on the Indian frontier. India may prove to be China’s primary adversary over the next 50-100 years, not the United States, through sheer demographics. India has just taken over China in terms of population, is slowly catching up economically, and is demographically much stronger, with almost 3 times as many annual births as China. Both have reigned in population growth dramatically, to the benefit of their populations, although India has done so in a much more measured way.
GDP per capita is probably a better measure and depending on what estimate you use China is around 100-150% of what India is. Plus theres the cultural bsckground – China is I suspect a lot more organised ( not been to China myself but have been to Vietnam and they are similar in that regard, have been to India a number of times – like the place but it is chaotic!!!).
Correction 150-200% GDP per capita in China’s favour.
China might be more organized, but with 1bn+ people, you can afford to make a mess of a few hundred million.
Pakistan claiming several IAF Fighters have been shot down, some reports saying these include 3 Rafales, all will be revealed today.
Tbh there are some startling claims out there about what has been happening over last few weeks. One website states that Pakistan used a massive EW attack on inbound Indian jets to deter a previous attack on Pakistan. Real or just propaganda who knows.
I read that 34 star destroyers were shot down on one side snd 11 death stars on the other
This is an ominous development. India and Pakistan have been involved in a number of wars, conflicts, and military standoffs since partition. They are both nuclear states. China will support Pakistan. I cannot think of a more dangerous development, particularly as religion is going to play a major part in this conflict
One hopes that reason prevails and both countries pull back from the brink
I see no reason to care, frankly the world would be better off without either of them. I just hope their violence isn’t replicated on our streets