Operation Sindoor is a landmark, multi-domain, tri-service military operation (act) conducted by the Indian armed forces. It was launched on the night of May 6-7, 2025, as a direct and resolute response to the devastating Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 civilians. The operation's primary purpose was to neutralize the operational capabilities of terrorist groups like the LeT, JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen responsible for cross-border terrorism.
The mechanism of Operation Sindoor involved high-precision strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites—four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). It utilized advanced technology, including satellite surveillance and drone technology. Crucially, the initial strikes were non-escalatory, deliberately avoiding Pakistani military installations to confine the action strictly to terrorist-linked infrastructure.
This operation is connected to a significant evolution in India's strategic doctrine, moving beyond the reactive nature of the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrike. It signals a shift toward a policy of "proactive deterrence" or "deterrence by punishment", establishing a "new normal" in India's counter-terrorism strategy. A key non-military measure connected to the operation was the termination of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with immediate effect, pending Pakistan's credible action against terrorism. The operation itself changed recently by expanding over several days following Pakistani retaliation, evolving from initial limited strikes to a broader exchange involving stand-off weapons.