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 BalakotIndia'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:Zoom in: The strikes and what they hitExecution & technology:Targets included:The symbolismThe 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 sayingOperation Sindoor Live Updates:Several airports in north India including Srinagar closedBetween the lines: This was not Balakot 2.0 - it’s a new doctrineWhile 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: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 drawnWith Operation Sindoor, India has:(With inputs from agencies)