What sets Operation Sindoor apart from past strikes on Pak-backed terrorism? Army veterans answer

Hindustan Times

14-05-2025

With Operation Sindoor, India delivered a strong response to the Pahalgam terror attack and also Pakistan, which has for years been accused of harbouring terrorist organisations. On May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that the nation, which lost 26 people in the Pahalgam attack, will not shy away from taking strong steps to end terrorism.
"Hum ghar mein ghus kar maarenge aur bachne ka ek mauka tak nahi denge... (we will enter their homes and hit them, and they won't even get a chance to escape," PM Modi said.
Launched on May 7, Operation Sindoor involved precision strikes carried out by the Indian Armed Forces on nine high-value terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Over 100 terrorists were killed in the operation, Indian army said.
While through daily briefings and statements, the government and military leadership gave the country glimpses into the scale and success of Operation Sindoor. Yet, there also lies deeper strategic calculations and hard-earned lessons - ones that veterans of the Indian Armed Forces, whom HT spoke to, believe mark a profound shift in India's 'new normal' against terrorism.
According to General VP Malik, who served as Army chief during the Kargil War, the strategy of any military operation depends on two factors - one, grand strategy- i.e., the policy defined by the political authority—and two, the military strategy, which flows from that political intent.
"As far as our political strategy is concerned, this time it has been different as we have adopted a whole-of-nation approach against terrorism, which not only involved military actions but also crucial political and diplomatic steps against Pakistan," Gen Malik said.
He added, "The military strategy this time was more focused on terrorist outfits, their hubs, and their training camps, to prevent these trained terrorists from being used to harm India's interests."
Defence expert Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma (Retd) said that in the previous operations -- such as the 2016 surgical strike and 2019 Balakot Airstrike -- it was largely a matter of demonstrating muscular strength and delivering retribution.
"However, this time, due to the nature of the killings in Pahalgam, it was not only a question of retribution but a strategic approach aimed at creating some kind of deterrent against cross-border terrorism," Lt Gen Sharma told HT.
Similarly, Lt Gen Hooda (Retd.) DS Hooda also believed that one of the key points that made Operation Sindoor stand out was the messaging of this military action.
"The messaging was that we are not going for just tactical targets -- it was focused on strategic and more significant targets," he said.
Another aspect that Lt Gen Hooda pointed out was the scale and impact of the operation, which managed to kill more than 100 terrorists and target some of the crucial terrorist camps linked to LeT, JeM and Hizbul.
HT also spoke to Brigadier Rajiv Williams (Retd) about what makes Operation Sindoor distinctive. He said, "First, the nature of warfare here is very different from what we fought 52 years ago, with one of the crucial elements being the involvement of drones. This was a technology-driven warfare scenario with no crossing of the LoC, unlike previous strikes."
"These precision-guided ammunition from our side, which targeted the terror camps and our aims -- clear and limited -- are what made Operation Sindoor stand out," Brigadier Williams added.
Shaurya Chakra awardee Major Pawan Kumar (Retd), who described said in Operation Sindoor as "a military action but as a symbol of India's political, social and strategic will," believed that India's political resolve and strategic military intent were the game changers.
From the timing of the attack, choice of targets, usage of weapons to the professional and diplomatic poise and dominance that we displayed, Major Pawan says "everything was accurately implemented."
"They have never seen us this bold and offensive. In Operation Sindoor. We have shown them that we can hit them deep inside and go beyond if needed," Major Pawan added.