One year on, Operation Sindoor continues to shape India’s security doctrine

NEW DELHI: On the intervening night of May 6-7, the Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack in which innocent lives were lost. The operation was so precise that it took down major infrastructure both in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan.

Some of the major infrastructure that was destroyed included the Jaish-e-Mohammad’s headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s primary training facility in Muridke.

Experts say that the Indian armed forces fought on multiple fronts. While taking down infrastructure, the forces were dealing with a flurry of hostage drones that came from Pakistan. While taking down terror infrastructure seamlessly, every drone that came in from Pakistan was taken down effectively.

During this operation, Pakistan decided to activate its propaganda wings. These wings were in overdrive mode on social media, spreading false narratives. Officials say that this was done with the intention of demoralising the Indian armed forces.

The Indian government, however, managed to counter every false narrative and ultimately, revenge was sought for Pahalgam and the message to Pakistan was delivered. While the primary intention was to hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan, which has been used for years to carry out strikes in India, the Operation also aimed at sending a larger message.

The Indian doctrine changed, and the message to Pakistan is that every terror attack will be treated as an act of war. It has put Pakistan on the back foot, and the country will think ten times before it plots an attack. This explains the push for raising homegrown modules in India, another official said.

During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan also witnessed the power of the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). This was instrumental in providing the shield during the operation.

Pakistan sent dozens of drones. At first, it was just harmless drones that flew in, meant to distract. Later, it was the larger drones, and despite trying to confuse and divert them, the IACCS managed to take down each one.