India Strikes Back: Why Pakistan’s Terror Support Justifies Operation Sindoor in 2025
On May 7, 2025, India executed Operation Sindoor through twenty-four targeted missile strikes against nine terrorist facilities located in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK). India executed Operation Sindoor as a direct response to the Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians including many Hindu tourists on April 22, 2025 to challenge Pakistan’s continued support for terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. India defended its military strikes as valid retaliation against Pakistan’s history of terrorism support despite Pakistan’s response labeling the attack as a war action and their claim of shooting down five Indian aircraft. The analysis in this article presents Operation Sindoor as an essential movement toward justice against Pakistan’s opposition and demonstrates India’s dedication to safeguard its people.
The Pahalgam Attack: A Catalyst for Action
A violent attack on Kashmiri civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir was carried out by The Resistance Front who are connected to LeT. The attackers deliberately chose non-Muslim victims with a particular focus on Hindu men resulting in 26 fatalities and injuries to more than 20 people according to eyewitness testimony. Sindoor became the symbolic name for the attack since it targeted Hindu men who wore red vermilion to symbolize marriage but left women unharmed yet created numerous widows. India’s allegations against Pakistan for supporting the attackers gained credibility due to ISI’s established connections with LeT which carried out significant attacks including the 2008 Mumbai massacre.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership the Indian government committed to pinpointing and prosecuting those who perpetrated the attacks. Following Pakistan’s refusal to act against terrorist groups and its denial of any involvement, India shifted its strategy from diplomatic actions like Indus Waters Treaty suspension to direct military operations. The attacks focused on major terrorist bases including LeT’s Muridke headquarters and JeM’s Bahawalpur base where terrorists like Ajmal Kasab received training before the Mumbai 2008 attacks and plans for assaults on Gulmarg, Sonmarg, and Pahalgam were developed.
India’s Justification: A Stand Against Terror
India executed Operation Sindoor as a deliberate yet controlled retaliation against Pakistan’s involvement in terrorist activities. The Indian Ministry of Defence stated that the operation remained focused and precise while avoiding escalation by striking only terrorist infrastructure and sparing military and civilian sites in Pakistan. Rafale jets launched a 23-minute attack using SCALP cruise missiles and AASM Hammer bombs while staying outside Pakistani airspace to reduce the chance of escalating conflict. The Indian Army confirmed the deaths of more than 90 terrorists including 10 relatives of JeM leader Masood Azhar which considerably weakened the operational ability of LeT, JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
India’s actions find their justification in Pakistan’s documented support for terrorist groups. The militant groups LeT, JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen have sustained operations from Pakistan for many years using camps at Muridke and Bahawalpur to recruit members and plan attacks against India. The terrorist groups responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2019 Pulwama bombing continued their operations for the 2025 Pahalgam attack due to Pakistan’s lack of action or implicit support. India’s strikes represented essential defensive actions against a nation that has failed to eliminate terrorist networks despite international demands and UN designations labeling LeT and JeM as terrorist organizations.
The military operation fostered domestic unity by bringing Indians together from all political affiliations. Both Congress member Jairam Ramesh and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora expressed support for the strikes while Milind Deora specifically acknowledged that Operation Sindoor served as an honor to the widows and families of those who lost their lives in Pahalgam. The public mood in Mumbai and Nagpur, through X posts, demonstrated both fury towards Pakistan and admiration for India’s firm response. By targeting the “terror nursery” of Muridke and other sites, India sent a clear message: terrorism will face consequences, regardless of borders.
Pakistan’s Defiance: Denials and Retaliation
Pakistan responded with predictable patterns of denial and condemnation followed by retaliation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared the assault a “cowardly attack” on civilians and reported that 26 people died including a child together with damage to the Bilal mosque in Muzaffarabad. The Pakistani military claimed they shot down five Indian aircraft and one drone but India refuted these allegations as false information which remains unverified. Pakistan launched missile attacks on Indian-administered Kashmir where three Indian civilians lost their lives and then executed artillery strikes along the Line of Control (LoC).
Pakistan’s military responses demonstrate defiance instead of seeking justice. Pakistan uses claims that Indian strikes hit civilians to shift attention away from its support for terrorist groups. India maintains that its attacks achieved precision targeting and generated minimal collateral damage despite contested reports of civilian losses. Pakistan has not provided trustworthy proof for its assertion that it shot down Indian aircraft while its military actions in Indian territory increased conflict even as it advocated for peace. Pakistan fails to acknowledge its support for LeT and TRF despite decades of evidence to contradict its claims while Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar remain present on Pakistani territory.
Pakistan’s response to Indian actions with artillery attacks in Poonch-Rajouri and false reports about destroying Indian military infrastructure shows its unwillingness to confront its support for terrorism. Pakistan’s refusal to address its role in terrorism validates India’s military actions and emphasizes the necessity for persistent pressure on Pakistan to destroy its terrorist networks.
The Global Context: A Call for Accountability
The international community acknowledges India’s right to fight terrorism through its calls for restraint. The former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared India has the right to attack terrorist infrastructure. Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that terrorists must face accountability. The UN together with China and several other nations advocated for de-escalation in response to the potential nuclear-armed confrontation risks.
Pakistan’s invocation of Article 51 and its emphasis on civilian casualties does not confront its inability to stop terrorism. The resulting disruptions from the strikes such as airspace closures and flight cancellations highlight Pakistan’s failure to address terrorism. India’s military action aligns with worldwide anti-terrorism initiatives by focusing on groups identified as threats by both the United Nations and Western countries.
Why This Matters: A Stand for Justice
Operation Sindoor represented both a military strike and a principled stand against terrorism. Those who support forceful responses to violence approve of India’s actions when states such as Pakistan enable terrorism. Anti-terror advocates find inspiration in the successful destruction of terror networks during the operation which received widespread public backing in India. People who view terrorism as a worldwide threat will see Operation Sindoor as a powerful argument for decisive action instead of appeasement.
Pakistan’s denials and retaliatory strikes only deepen the cycle of violence, but India’s resolve offers a path forward: hold terrorists and their backers accountable. The dissemination of this story allows readers to strengthen demands for justice which forces the international community to face governments that support terrorism. India’s military actions demonstrate that courage leads to peace while failure to act creates disorder in conflict-ridden areas.
