Operation Sindoor: India’s Targeted Counter-Terror Strike, Not a Step Toward War

Operation Sindoor, conducted between May 6 and 7, 2025, by the Indian Armed Forces, was a precision-focused military response to the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 innocent civilians dead.

The operation was not intended to initiate a full-scale conflict with Pakistan, but rather to deliver a firm and proportionate response aimed solely at eliminating terror camps operating with impunity from across the border.

Senior defence officials have confirmed that the objective of Operation Sindoor was particular: to dismantle identified terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan that was being used to train, shelter, and launch militants into Indian territory.

These facilities had long been on Indian intelligence radars and were believed to be directly linked to the planning and execution of cross-border attacks, including the one in Pahalgam.

The Indian Navy, an essential pillar of the country’s military deterrence posture, had been placed on high alert and was prepared for a broader engagement, if required.

Naval ships and submarines were deployed, and target packages were assigned, which included both maritime and land-based Pakistani military installations.

This included Pakistan Navy warships, submarines docked in the harbour, and strategic infrastructure along the coast.

However, despite being in position and fully armed with long-range strike capabilities, including the BrahMos and Klub series cruise missiles, the final directive to initiate an attack was never issued.

Sources familiar with the operation told NDTV that Indian Navy assets were “put on hot standby” on more than one occasion during the peak of hostilities, but the decision to withhold fire was a deliberate and strategic one.

The message was clear: India’s objective was not to provoke an all-out war, but to hold those responsible for terrorism accountable.

Had the Indian Navy launched its strike, the escalation would have been dramatic. Many Pakistani naval assets, including frontline frigates and corvettes, had remained docked in their harbours throughout the tension, likely anticipating a potential Indian offensive.

Military analysts suggest that several of these vessels, which did not venture out to sea, could have been sunk at port if hostilities had intensified. But India’s choice to refrain from attacking them showcased a high degree of military maturity and restraint.

Instead, the Indian Navy contributed to the operation in a more focused manner. Land-based naval weapons—specific systems not publicly disclosed—were used to conduct strikes on terrorist bases within Pakistan.

These precise and calculated attacks ensured that the focus remained firmly on counter-terrorism, not inter-state warfare.

India also asserted its dominance over the North Arabian Sea during this period, with the deployment of the INS Vikrant-led Carrier Battle Group.

The presence of this formidable naval formation, backed by MiG-29K fighters, ensured absolute air superiority off the southern coast of Pakistan.

This acted as both a deterrent and a reassurance—deterring Pakistani forces from responding militarily, and reassuring Indian leadership that escalation control was firmly in hand.

In one significant post-hostilities incident, the Indian Navy detected and tracked a lone Pakistani RAS-72 Sea Eagle, a maritime surveillance variant of the ATR-72 aircraft.

The aircraft was swiftly intercepted by a MiG-29K launched from INS Vikrant, which closed in to within a few hundred metres. The close formation was a tactical move designed to signal dominance without crossing thresholds; it successfully compelled the Pakistani aircraft to turn back without any confrontation.

By refraining from striking Pakistani naval assets and limiting its military actions to specific terrorist-linked targets, India underscored its core intent—this was not a war against Pakistan, but a firm act of counter-terrorism.

Operation Sindoor stands as a testament to India’s evolving doctrine of calibrated retaliation: a doctrine where the state leverages its full military capability while exercising strategic restraint to prevent wider conflict.

This restrained yet resolute posture highlights a fundamental tenet of India’s military strategy—strength with responsibility.

Even with overwhelming naval and air superiority, India chose to avoid inflicting broader damage on Pakistani military assets.

The decision to pull back from the brink was not one of weakness, but of wisdom, rooted in a belief that targeted, proportionate action is more effective than unchecked escalation.

In summary, Operation Sindoor was not the beginning of a war—it was a message.

A message that India will no longer tolerate terror emanating from across its borders, and that while its response may be precise and measured, it will be unflinching and resolute in defending the lives of its citizens.

The operation reaffirms that India seeks peace, but not at the cost of its national security or the lives of its people.