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Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
What sets Operation Sindoor apart from past strikes on Pak-backed terrorism? Army veterans answer
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.
NDTV
11-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Did Pakistan Admit To Pulwama Role? What Its Air Force Official Said
Islamabad: Pakistan's Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed has referred to the Pulwama attack as "tactical brilliance" amid tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad following the Pahalgam terror attack. The footage of his remarks is being widely circulated on social media and has raised eyebrows, as despite being linked to it, Pakistan has consistently denied involvement in the Pulwama terror attack. "If Pakistan's land, skies, or waters are threatened, there will be no tried to convey this with our tactical brilliance in Pulwama, and now we've shown our strategic skills too," said Ahmed, who is Director General Public Relations for the Pakistan Air Force, said in a Friday press conference that included foreign reporters. As many as 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack when Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) suicide bomber targeted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy. India had responded with the Balakot Airstrike, targeting JeM training camp located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. India's actions led to an aerial dogfight with Pakistani jets, following which an Indian fighter pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured in Pakistan. However, he was released by Pakistan days later, amid heightened tensions between both nuclear-powered neighbours. Internet Reacts The Pakistani official's comments soon caught attention of internet users, who noted that it casts doubt on Pakistan's denial of involvement in the Pulwama attack. "Did he really admit about Pulwama attack," wrote a X user, sharing the video of Ahmed's statement. "Dear world, this is the reality of Pakistan - they have openly admitted their involvement in a terror attack that killed 40 Indian soldiers," wrote another social media user on X. "Pakistan just confessed! "Pulwama was tactical brilliance. Now we've shown operational progress." That's Pakistan Army admitting Pulwama wasn't the doing of faceless terrorists. It was state-backed," wrote a third X user. Pakistan's Terror Links The rare admission from Pakistan comes amid Islamabad's denial of harbouring terrorism in the country in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. After both the Pulwama and Pahalgam attacks, Pakistan has denied responsibility, claiming India does not have evidence to prove Islamabad's role in the incidents. However, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently confirmed long-standing accusations that Pakistan has harboured terrorists. In an April interview with Sky News, the Pakistani Minister admitted that Islamabad had backed terror groups in the past. "We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about 3 decades... That was a mistake, and we suffered for that," he said.
Economic Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
As India-Pakistan conflict grows, here's how equity markets, GDP have navigated wars
Here is the full break-up of events and their impact: Kargil War – A full-scale war that was fought between May 3, 1999 and July 26, 1999, Nifty jumped 7% at the end of the third-day into the war. By the end of the war, the headline index galloped 35.6%. Parliament attack: This happened on December 13, 2001 and was followed by a border stand-off that lasted till June 19, 2002. Nifty fell 1.8% over three sessions while plunging 4% by the end. 26/11 Mumbai Attacks: The attack happened on November 26, 2008, and the tension lasted till November 29, 2008. The Nifty index was up 3.8% over the span of the operations. Uri Attack + Surgical Strikes: The events unfolded between September 18, 2016 and September 28, 2016, and Nifty remained flat over the first three sessions while declining marginally by 0.4% by the end of operations. Pulwama Attack + Balakot Airstrike: The events unfolded between February 14, 2019 and February 26, 2019. Nifty declined 0.6%, three days after the attack while gaining by 0.4% by the end of the operations. Pahalgam Attack: The attack happened on unsuspecting civilians on Apr 22, 2025. While the story is still ongoing, the Nifty jumped 1.7% at the end of the third day of the incident. As on Friday, Nifty was still up 0.6%. Live Events Impact on GDP (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel As India's forceful response to Pakistan's escalations enters its fourth day, a look back at history suggests that while past wars have had minimal lasting impact on domestic equity markets, the country's economic growth has often borne the brunt of such Friday, Nifty ended with sharp cuts of 1.1% at 24,008 while falling 1.5% since India struck terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7 to avenge the Pahalgam attack. Things are now changing thick and its analysis of the market movement and the GDP, brokerage firm JM Financial explains the impact of previous wars and how the situation is different this time was launched in 1995 and India fought four wars prior to Kargil war viz. first Kashmir war which started on October 22, 1947 and ended on January 1, 1949; the second Kashmir War between July 5,1965 and September 23, 1965, Indo-China war of 1962 and Bangladesh Liberation War between December 3, 1971 to December 16, the Indo-China war of 1962, GDP saw a decline of 0.8%, JM said, while highlighting that similar trends were witnessed post the Indo-Pak war in 1965, wherein GDP declined 2.6% in 1965 after a growth of 7.5% in the preceding year. During the 1971 war, while a GDP decline was not seen, the growth fell to 1.6% from 5.2%, this brokerage 1999 Kargil war appears to be the only situation wherein the year of war saw an increase in GDP growth (8.9%) as compared to 6.2% in the GDP has been adversely impacted, JM said that the Indian economy now is far larger and more resilient than what it was during previous conflicts.: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
As India-Pakistan conflict grows, here's how equity markets, GDP have navigated wars
Here is the full break-up of events and their impact: Kargil War – A full-scale war that was fought between May 3, 1999 and July 26, 1999, Nifty jumped 7% at the end of the third-day into the war. By the end of the war, the headline index galloped 35.6%. Parliament attack: This happened on December 13, 2001 and was followed by a border stand-off that lasted till June 19, 2002. Nifty fell 1.8% over three sessions while plunging 4% by the end. 26/11 Mumbai Attacks: The attack happened on November 26, 2008, and the tension lasted till November 29, 2008. The Nifty index was up 3.8% over the span of the operations. Uri Attack + Surgical Strikes: The events unfolded between September 18, 2016 and September 28, 2016, and Nifty remained flat over the first three sessions while declining marginally by 0.4% by the end of operations. Pulwama Attack + Balakot Airstrike: The events unfolded between February 14, 2019 and February 26, 2019. Nifty declined 0.6%, three days after the attack while gaining by 0.4% by the end of the operations. Pahalgam Attack: The attack happened on unsuspecting civilians on Apr 22, 2025. While the story is still ongoing, the Nifty jumped 1.7% at the end of the third day of the incident. As on Friday, Nifty was still up 0.6%. Live Events Impact on GDP (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel As India's forceful response to Pakistan's escalations enters its fourth day, a look back at history suggests that while past wars have had minimal lasting impact on domestic equity markets, the country's economic growth has often borne the brunt of such Friday, Nifty ended with sharp cuts of 1.1% at 24,008 while falling 1.5% since India struck terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7 to avenge the Pahalgam attack. Things are now changing thick and its analysis of the market movement and the GDP, brokerage firm JM Financial explains the impact of previous wars and how the situation is different this time was launched in 1995 and India fought four wars prior to Kargil war viz. first Kashmir war which started on October 22, 1947 and ended on January 1, 1949; the second Kashmir War between July 5,1965 and September 23, 1965, Indo-China war of 1962 and Bangladesh Liberation War between December 3, 1971 to December 16, the Indo-China war of 1962, GDP saw a decline of 0.8%, JM said, while highlighting that similar trends were witnessed post the Indo-Pak war in 1965, wherein GDP declined 2.6% in 1965 after a growth of 7.5% in the preceding year. During the 1971 war, while a GDP decline was not seen, the growth fell to 1.6% from 5.2%, this brokerage 1999 Kargil war appears to be the only situation wherein the year of war saw an increase in GDP growth (8.9%) as compared to 6.2% in the GDP has been adversely impacted, JM said that the Indian economy now is far larger and more resilient than what it was during previous conflicts.: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Uri, Balakot, Sindoor: A look at each of India's three deadly strikes in response to terror attacks
Just over two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in Kashmir's Baisaran meadow, India has retaliated with Operation Sindoor. Taking place in the early hours of Wednesday, May 7 (reportedly at 1.08AM), Operation Sindoor targeted 9 terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing 70 terrorists and leaving over 60 of their kind injured. Uri, Balakot, Operation Sindoor: Each of India's strikes against Pakistan(Photo: iStock) The 24 precision missile strikes targeted camps across Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal, believed to be the launchpads used by the Lashkar, the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist groups. This was the first step in India's retaliation to avenge the loss of 26 innocent, civilian lives in Pahalgam, orchestrated by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. As soon as the mission was concluded a success, the official X handle of the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army), posted, '#PahalgamTerrorAttack Justice is Served. Jai Hind!'. 'First step' is crucial in this regard, owing to the fact that former Chief of Army Staff Manoj Naravane, shortly after news of the strike broke, posted to X the following statement: "Abhi picture baki hai…". This makes for the third publicly-acknowledged strike carried out by India, when it comes to the India-Pakistan conflict dynamic. The Balakot Airstrike of 2019 and the Uri Surgical Strike of 2016 were Operation Sindoor's predecessors in this regard. Balakot Airstrike The Balakot Airstrike took place on February 26, 2019. This was India's official armed response to the Pulwama attack, which had occurred on February 14. A security forces convoy travelling through Pulwama was attacked by a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber — India lost 40 CRPF personnel that day. The Balakot Airstrike then, targeted a JeM training camp located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Retaliatory airstrikes were carried out by Pakistan the very next day, the result of which was IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman being captured. Varthaman was released in 2 days. Uri Surgical Strike On September 18, 2016, four terrorists, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad, attacked an Indian army base in Jammu & Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 Indian soldiers, and injuring 30 more. A six-hour long gun battle ensued by the end of which, all 4 terrorists were killed. On September 29, India launched a covert surgical strike, with Indian Army commandos crossing the LoC and annihilating seven terrorist launchpads located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Army called it a "pre-emptive strike" carried out to quash terrorist plots planning to "infiltrate and conduct terror attacks inside J&K and various metros in other states". Coming back to Operation Sindoor, the same was condemned by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who took to X to post his heightened sentiments. "This heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished. Pakistan reserves the absolute right to respond decisively to this unprovoked Indian attack — a resolute response is already underway", read an excerpt. On the civilian front, nationwide mock drills have commenced in India, lasting between 4PM and 7PM today, to train the public on their preparedness in the face of potential hostility.
