India-Pakistan war was waiting to happen

In a series of interviews Yashovardhan Jha Azad conducted since the #PahalgamTerrorAttack, panellists — foreign correspondent Suhasini Haidar, former diplomat Sharat Sabharwal, former IAS officer KBS Sidhu and Lt Gen (Retd) PJS Pannu — said Pakistan had crossed a line it shouldn't have, and now India cannot be stopped from exacting revenge.

India launched Operation Sindoor following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives, including 25 Indian nationals and 1 Nepali citizen. The operation aimed to dismantle infrastructure for terrorism linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Operation details

On May 7, between 01:05 AM and 01:30 AM, India conducted precision missile strikes on nine terrorist camps. These included four sites in Pakistan (Sarjal and Mehmoona Joya camps in Sialkot, Markaz Taiba in Muridke, Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur) and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) (Sawai Nala and Syedna Bilal camps in Muzaffarabad, Gulpur and Abbas camps in Kotli, Barnala camp in Bhimber). The operation reportedly killed over 80-90 terrorists, with no Indian-reported civilian casualties, though Pakistan claimed 26 civilian deaths and 46 injuries.

Reactions and impacts

Domestically, political leaders across parties, including PM Narendra Modi, praised the operation, and families of the victims supported the beginning of what can be expected to turn into a full-fledged war. Internationally, reactions varied: China called it "regrettable," Russia urged de-escalation, and countries like the UK and US expressed solidarity or called for restraint. Security measures post-operation included flight suspensions at 21 northern airports until May 9, 2025, and closure of the Kartarpur corridor. Pakistan responded with ceasefire violations, leading to 10 civilian deaths and 33 injuries in India.