Operation Sindoor II: Pakistan military will be the target
- rkbhonsle
- May 17
- 5 min read
India's new counter terrorism doctrine following Operation Sindoor establishes the certainty of decisive retaliation targeting terrorists as well as the state sponsors that is the Pakistan Army in a future scenario.
This doctrine carries forward the punitive strikes in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir [POJK] in 2016, in Balakot in Pakistan in 2019 and inside Pakistan and POJK in May 2025.
While so far, the three strikes conducted with the last one the most extensive having a decisive impact on Pakistan military as well as terrorist groups as the Jaish e Mohammad and Lashkar e Tayyaba, that India will respond in such a manner was implied and not stated explicitly.
For the first time in a clairvoyant message to Pakistan and the World at large Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has very clearly enunciated that India has only suspended Operation Sindoor launched on the Night of May 06/07 on the terrorist infrastructure and bases in Pakistan including the network supporting the same.
While a cease fire was agreed upon on May 10th and implemented thereafter which is being sustained seen by many as fragile, Pakistan is placed on notice.
Mr. Modi in address to the Nation on May 12 and subsequent interactions in the Air Force Station Adampur on May 13 clearly indicated that Operation Sindoor is only suspended and not terminated.
Worth noting is the fact that Pakistan has terminated the so called, "Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos" thus hoping for return to normalcy and business as usual.
India on the other hand is clear that the limited nature of the strikes on the terrorist infrastructure as well as the military facilities in Pakistan from My 06 to 09 is unlikely to deter Pakistan Army from sustaining the campaign of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond. For the Pakistan Army, Kashmir as the Army Chief General Asim Munir said at an earlier occasion is the ‘jugular vein,” of Pakistan.
Thus, sustenance of the campaign of terror by Pakistan is said to be a given in the future.
Given this reality, the Prime Minister Mr. Modi has highlighted that reaction by India will be certain and would take the following form providing strategic clarity:-
First, “if there is a terrorist attack on India, a fitting reply will be given. We will give a benefiting response on our terms only. We will take strict action at every place where the roots of terrorism emerge.
Secondly, India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail.
Thirdly, we will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism. During Operation Sindoor the world has again seen the ugly face of Pakistan, when top Pakistani army officers came to bid farewell to the slain terrorists. This is strong evidence of state-sponsored terrorism.”
The last parameter clearly denotes that the strike will be not only against the terrorist infrastructure by also on the Pakistan military that sponsors such attacks.
Amplifying the Prime Minister statement, the Defence Minister stated, “India’s fight against terrorism is not just a matter of security, it has now become a part of the national defence doctrine, and we will root out this hybrid & proxy warfare.” He was addressing the air warriors at the Bhuj Air Force Station in Gujarat on May 16, 2025.
“Our actions were just a trailer, we will show the full picture, if need be. ‘Attacking and eliminating terrorism’ is the new normal of New India,” he said. On the nuclear issue Mr. Rajnath said, “I raise this question before the world: Are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation? Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be taken under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
On diplomacy, Mr. Rajnath clearly outlined that terrorism & talks cannot go together, and if talks are held, it will only be on terrorism and regaining the status of POJK. Pakistan on the other hand is unlikely to hold a bilateral dialogue on these issues.
Preparing for Operation Sindoor II
While the strategic clarity of national leadership headed by the Prime Minister of the future response to a terrorist attack by Pakistan is welcome, to fulfill the mission, extensive preparations will have to be undertaken by the strategic intelligence agencies, the armed forces, and the internal security domain.
Firstly, the last named, as indicating certainty of a punitive response may not deter Pakistan from launching one as time wears down and complacency sets in the internal domain in Jammu and Kashmir over a period. It is just such an environment which demonstrated normalcy was exploited by Pakistan in Pahalgam on 22 April. While eternal vigilance is the price of liberty preventing gaps through an effective counter insurgency deployment and above all an all encompassing intelligence grid both technical and human is important.
For the human intelligence to flow in Jammu and Kashmir, removing the alienation in the miniscule section of youth assumes importance and towards this end ongoing counter terrorist operations need to be targeted, focused on the miscreant rather than seen as a collective punishment to the people at large for Pahalgam.
Secondly the armed forces need to be suitably prepared for the response which in the forthcoming days would be expected to face heavy resistance with Pakistan provided full support by China and Turkey amongst others.
The Chinese are expected to conduct a detailed analysis of Operation Sindoor and performance of the fighter aircraft, missiles, and air defence systems provided to Pakistan and make upgrades to capabilities in terms of technology to prevent another debacle. The next generation HQ-9P and HQ-9BE air and missile defence systems under development will find their ways to Pakistan.
Turkey is investing in modern military technologies and is developing smart aerial assets such as the Kemankeş family as per an Atlantic Council report which apart from others can provide substantial advantages to Pakistan.
These are only some of the accretions that will make the task of the Indian Armed Forces for a prospective Operation Sindoor that much difficult.
The success of any future operation will depend on the strategic intelligence that is available of Pakistan’s military as well as terrorist assets. Given the rider of avoiding civilian casualties which is expected to sustain, it is envisaged there will be a premium on intelligence acquired by satellite and air assets supplemented by agents on the ground to provide a full picture of assets planned to be targeted.
Finally given that strategic surprise will not be available to the Indian side as the response to a cross-border attack is pre-determined, there will be heavy reliance on operational security and deception.
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