“Terror and talks can’t go together; terror and trade can’t go together; blood and water can’t flow together. No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated any more," said PM Modi on 12 May 2025, in a spellbinding address to the nation. “Operation Sindoor is the new policy on terror," added Modi. He underlined that India has laid down a new red line with this military operation on terrorism, calling it the new normal.

It all began on 7 May 2025, when India launched Operation Sindoor — a meticulously planned and decisively executed military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in both mainland Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Spearheaded under the astute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this operation was a stunningly bold response to the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, which claimed 26 lives, including those of tourists and a Nepali citizen.

Operation Sindoor not only avenged the loss of innocent lives but also redefined India’s national security doctrine, establishing a “new normal". The Pahalgam terror attack was a grim reminder of Pakistan’s persistent role in sponsoring cross-border terrorism. The attack, which targeted civilians, including women, was described by PM Modi as a “personal tragedy" that wiped out the sindoor (vermilion, a symbol of married women in India) of Indian sisters and daughters.

The naming of the operation as Sindoor was a deliberate choice, suggested by Modi himself, to send a powerful message to terrorists about the consequences of targeting Indian citizens. The operation was launched in the early hours of 7 May 2025, with the Indian Armed Forces executing 24 precision strikes on nine terrorist targets across Pakistan and PoK in just 23 minutes.

The operation was a retaliation for years of Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism, with specific targets including terror camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke, which Modi publicly called “universities of terror". The strikes eliminated over 100 deadly terrorists, including those involved in historical atrocities such as the IC-814 hijacking and the Pulwama blasts. The success of Operation Sindoor lay not only in its immediate outcomes but also in its demonstration of India’s military precision, technological superiority, and the unwavering resolve of the Modi government.

Operation Sindoor was a masterclass in modern warfare, showcasing India’s evolution from traditional military tactics to a tech-driven, intelligence-led approach. The Indian Armed Forces — comprising the Army, Air Force and Navy — worked in seamless coordination, employing indigenously developed weapons such as the BrahMos missile, Akash air defence system, and D-4 anti-drone systems. The operation was marked by real-time intelligence, surgical strikes, and non-kinetic warfare in........

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