By. Kundan Kashmiri

The recent 100-hour decisive military strike by India on terrorist launchpads and their Pakistani sponsors has made it absolutely clear to the world that under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is no longer willing to absorb wounds in silence. While the precision and scale of the operation have stunned adversaries and redefined India’s strategic doctrine, it must be emphasized that the strikes could have been prolonged by two to three more days. A further extension would have deeply wounded the terror ecosystem, completely dismantled remaining camps, and sent a much stronger, permanent message to terror sympathizers, their backers, and international observers alike. The time has come not just to punish, but to paralyze the entire support mechanism of terrorism emerging from Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

India succeeded in delivering a powerful, calibrated, and well-coordinated military blow to Pakistan during this intense 100-hour conflict. This brief yet significant confrontation showcased India’s evolving military doctrine through precise cross-border strikes targeting terrorist launchpads, ammunition depots, and terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and beyond. The Indian Air Force demonstrated remarkable superiority with deep-penetration sorties executed without suffering major losses, while targeted drone attacks and long-range artillery shelling inflicted heavy damage on strategic Pakistani military positions that actively support cross-border terrorism.

The integration of cyber operations and electronic warfare further enhanced the mission’s success, disrupting surveillance and communication systems across PoK. Global defense analysts and leading international media outlets acknowledged these operations as swift, surgical, and unexpected a mission aimed not just to punish, but to humiliate Pakistan militarily while carefully avoiding nuclear escalation.

India emerged from this short war with significant achievements. Militarily, numerous high-value terror targets were neutralized, including top commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Morally and psychologically, the action invigorated national confidence following a series of terrorist provocations. On the diplomatic front, India powerfully reasserted its right to self-defense under the globally accepted doctrine of pre-emptive action, drawing subtle yet strong approval from major powers including the United States, France, and Israel.

This confrontation also exposed Pakistan’s enduring role in harboring and exporting terrorism, strengthening India’s case in global forums like the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), while consolidating internal security postures along the western border and reinforcing troop morale. Agreeing to a ceasefire after 100 hours may appear debatable to some, but it was a strategically calculated decision. It prevented a prolonged conflict that could have drawn international pressure, destabilized the region, and impacted India’s economic momentum. It also preserved India’s moral high ground by avoiding civilian casualties and showcasing a responsible and restrained posture. Most importantly, it ensured the success of India’s core mission punishing Pakistan without overstretching.

Still, many defense experts contend that further military pressure could have extracted deeper concessions from Pakistan, such as forcing the permanent dismantling of terror hubs or altering territorial control in strategic areas of PoK. However, India’s choice was shaped by several real-time calculations, including the looming threat of nuclear escalation due to Pakistan’s unstable internal dynamics, backchannel diplomacy led by strategic global partners, and the economic implications of a protracted war.

The 100-hour operation proved a pivotal lesson for India’s strategic planners. It reaffirmed the feasibility of limited, high-impact warfare even under the nuclear overhang. It underlined the importance of information warfare global perception and narrative control must evolve as integral components of battlefield planning. Rapid mobilization, special forces integration, the use of drone technology, and satellite-based intelligence emerged as critical force multipliers. Perhaps most crucially, India reaffirmed that Pakistan’s reliance on non-state actors is a strategic liability a pressure point that can be repeatedly exploited without entering into prolonged warfare. The doctrine of sustained attrition of these terror assets, rather than seeking full-scale war, has been validated.

Strategically and policy-wise, India’s actions were correct and timely. The operations were rooted in a proactive defense doctrine, backed by firm political resolve and public support. They were implemented with surgical precision in coordination with diplomatic and intelligence frameworks, achieving maximum objectives with minimal fallout. This bold posture reasserted India’s strategic autonomy and left no doubt that terrorism will now be answered with force, not just dossiers and denouncements.

In the aftermath, terror networks in PoK and Pakistan were significantly disrupted. Pakistan’s ISI-backed terror infrastructure was exposed and temporarily crippled. Regional powers like China, Turkey, and Iran took cautious stances, choosing not to support Pakistan openly. FATF scrutiny intensified as new evidence of terror financing emerged. In Kashmir, a temporary decline in terrorism and local recruitment was observed, driven by the fear of decisive Indian retaliation.

In this context, the speech delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the evening of May 12, 2025, stands as a defining moment in modern Indian political and military history. His words not only strengthened the morale of the nation, but also clearly outlined India’s red lines and non-negotiable stand on national sovereignty and anti-terrorism. In his address to the nation, PM Modi stated, “On May 7, the whole world saw our resolve turn into action.” This simple but powerful statement reflected India’s shift from a reactive to a proactive stance in dealing with cross-border terrorism. He proudly confirmed the success of Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the barbaric Pahalgam attack that took the lives of 26 innocent pilgrims on April 22, 2025.

He also made it crystal clear that India will not tolerate any kind of nuclear blackmail a direct reference to Pakistan’s historical tactics of invoking its nuclear arsenal as a shield for sponsoring terrorism. This time, India crossed that psychological barrier without hesitation. Most significantly, PM Modi declared that no talks with Pakistan can or will happen unless terrorism ends and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is returned to India. This bold statement not only honored national sentiment but also echoed the long-standing demand of millions of Indians, including displaced communities like the Kashmiri Pandits, that PoK is not just a territorial issue but an emotional and constitutional matter.

While the military operation achieved its primary objectives neutralizing over 100 terrorists and destroying key infrastructure strategic experts and nationalist voices strongly believe that extending the offensive would have caused irreparable damage to Pakistan’s terror industry and its ideological roots.

In conclusion, Operation Sindoor stands as a historic example of India’s enhanced military readiness, its unwavering political will, and its global positioning as a nation no longer restrained by passive diplomacy. With this bold move, Prime Minister Modi has redrawn the line in the sand one that no enemy of India should dare to cross again. Let this be the beginning of a new era an India that hits back, dismantles, and leads from the front.

[ Kundan Kashmiri]
Kashmir Watcher, Freelance writer,& President Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC ).
Email kundankashmiri@gnail.com
Mobile No 8802167955