08-05-2025
Daily Briefing: India ups the ante
India's military response to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 civilian lives, was expected. But in targeting pre-selected targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India has upped the ante. The message is clear: India will not tolerate terrorism, and it won't hesitate to strike hard and far to root it out.
Advance: This marks India's deepest incursion into Pakistani territory yet. In 2016, after the Uri attack, the Army went 3 km into PoK. In 2019, Balakot saw an airstrike 60 km across the Line of Control. Operation Sindoor pushed the envelope further, striking 150 km inside Pakistan. The operation also broke with tradition in one subtle but telling way: its name. Unlike past operations that carried militaristic overtones, Sindoor signals a thematic shift, one that alluded to the lives lost in the April 22 terror attack.
Restraint: Notably, India avoided targeting Pakistani military assets. Instead, the nine sites struck were terror camps linked to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, including one reportedly tied to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. For a detailed breakdown, read my colleague Deeptiman Tiwary's explainer.
Zoom out: Though not immediate, India's response was calculated. The government strategically used the intervening two weeks to gather support from friends and foes, globally and internally. Even on Wednesday, India mounted a diplomatic outreach to major powers, including the US and China. While the US has offered assistance, China called for restraint on both sides.
Zoom in: Unlike the strikes of 2016 and 2019, which saw political bickering, Operation Sindoor has broad political consensus. My colleague Manoj C G decodes the undertones of Opposition support and explains why it was different this time. Meanwhile, all political parties are set to gather today to discuss the operation. Congress has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the meeting.
The following 24-48 hours are key as India awaits a response from the Asim Munir-led Pakistan Army, if any. Pakistan has already escalated ceasefire violations along the LoC. At least 13 people, including a soldier and four children have been killed in cross-border shelling.
Lastly, I leave you with these two must-read columns from our Opinion pages today.
One, former finance minister of J&K, Haseeb A Drabu, writes how for the first time, a distinction has been made between the Kashmir issue and terrorism. He argues that in targeting terror camps, India has reframed it as a national security matter and not a Kashmir-specific issue.
Two, a retired Indian ambassador, Jawed Ashraf, underscores the complex task ahead of upending the cycle of attacks from Pakistan and its proxies.
Before you go… on a very different note, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Tests. For most cricket enthusiasts, this was no surprise. After a damaging tour in Australia earlier this year, Rohit faced increased scrutiny over his form. Read Sriram Veera's well-written deep dive into what was Sharma's undoing.
