Operation Sindoor vs Balakot: India raises the stakes with deep strikes in Pakistan

In a bold and coordinated military action, the Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor - a high-precision missile strike targeting nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack , which killed 25 Indian civilians and a Nepali national just two weeks earlier.

The targets included JeM's Bahawalpur HQ, LeT’s base in Muridke, and several key infrastructure hubs of Hizbul Mujahideen, marking India’s most comprehensive cross-border military strike in over 50 years.

Why it matters: A quantum leap from Balakot
India's previous cross-border strikes - the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes - were relatively limited in scope and geography. In contrast, Operation Sindoor:

• Hit more targets (nine vs one in Balakot)
• Penetrated deeper into Pakistani territory (striking Bahawalpur and Muridke), and
• Employed sophisticated precision munitions, including loitering drones.
• Security analyst Aadil Mir told ANI: “India has crossed two significant thresholds… striking multiple sites and targeting Pakistan’s heartland. This goes far beyond 2019.”

Zoom in: The strikes and what they hit
Execution & technology:

• The strikes were carried out entirely from Indian airspace using a mix of:
• Loitering munitions (which hover before attacking),
• Precision-guided missiles, and
• Air Force, Navy, and Army strike coordination.

Targets included:

• Markaz Subhan Allah (Bahawalpur) - JeM HQ
• Markaz Taiba (Muridke) - LeT’s main base
• Syedna Bilal & Shwawai Nalla camps (Muzaffarabad) - JeM & LeT hubs
• Makaz Raheel Shahid & Mehmoona Joya (Kotli & Sialkot) - Hizbul Mujahideen sites
• Other logistical, training and recruitment centers in Barnala and Tehra Kalan
• Indian military sources confirmed the intent was to “decapitate” leadership and logistics across JeM, LeT, and Hizbul Mujahideen infrastructure.

The symbolism
The operation's name, Sindoor, is derived from the red vermillion Hindu women wear to signify marriage — a nod to the Pahalgam widows, including one whose Navy officer husband was gunned down in front of her.

What they're saying

• Following Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army said on 'X': "Justice is Served."
• Defence ministry: “Focused, measured, and non-escalatory… no Pakistani military sites were targeted.”
• Defence minister Rajnath Singh: “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
• Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd): “Nine terrorist sites and their infrastructure were targeted… A fitting response under PM Modi’s direction to inflict unimaginable punishment.”
• US President Donald Trump said at an unrelated White House interaction with news reporters: “We just heard about it as we were walking through the doors of the Oval ... They've been fighting for a long time. ... I just hope it ends very quickly.”

Between the lines: This was not Balakot 2.0 - it’s a new doctrine
While both Balakot and Sindoor were retaliatory anti-terror operations:
Balakot (2019): Targeted a single JeM training camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Sindoor (2025): Targeted multiple, geographically dispersed terror sites, including deep inside Pakistan’s Punjab.
More importantly, Sindoor introduced:

• Wider spatial escalation - hitting targets near Lahore (Muridke) and Sialkot.
• Higher operational tempo - All nine strikes occurred within minutes.
• Zero intrusion strategy - India used standoff weapons, minimizing airspace breach and escalation risk.

The big picture: Why now, and what changed?
The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 - where civilians, including security families, were massacred - generated national outrage and international concern.

PM Narendra Modi, in an April 29 security briefing, gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom". This green greenlight, combined with high-quality intelligence and technological advances, led to the execution of a strike unprecedented since the 1971 war.

India then moved swiftly to brief world powers, including the US, UK, Russia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, explaining the non-escalatory nature of the operation.

NSA Ajit Doval spoke directly to US NSA and secretary of state Marco Rubio, laying out evidence of Pakistan-based terror links to Pahalgam.

What’s next: Escalation or deterrence?
Ceasefire violations: Hours after the strikes, Pakistan’s army opened artillery fire along the LoC in Jammu’s Bhimber Gali area, killing three Indian civilians. India’s army said it was responding in a “calibrated manner.”
India’s stance: New Delhi is projecting this as a deterrence-by-punishment strategy - precise, contained, and legally justified. “We only hit known terror camps,” the Indian embassy in New York emphasized.

The takeaway: A new red line has been drawn
With Operation Sindoor, India has:

• Raised the cost of cross-border terrorism,
• Expanded its military playbook, and
• Sent a clear message: No more sanctuaries, even in Pakistan’s heartland.
• India also showed its restraint and maturity by not hitting military targets, avoiding a full-scale escalation - even as it delivered a strategic blow to terror infrastructure.
• As Brigadier Hemant Mahajan (Retd) put it:
• "This was a world-class, precision strike. The Armed Forces must be complimented. We hit them when they least expected it - and hit them hard."

(With inputs from agencies)