The Iron Dome of India

IN the windlessness of the Baisaran vale meadow at Pahalgam, horror came uninvited. Armed militants attacked tourists and locals – asking their organized religion, demanding they retell Islamic Kalima verses, forcing them to dismantle down so the terrorists could check for physical signs of identity. What followed, was a cold methodical execution.Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman was shot point blank in the head. An Indian Navy Lieutenant, Vinay Narwal was the next victim. He had come to Pahalgam with his wife, Himanshi, just six days after their wedding. When the terrorists realised he was Hindu, they shot him three times – through the neck, chest and thigh. A photograph of Himanshi, still in her bridal bangles, sitting defeatedly beside her husband’s lifeless body, went viral as a symbol of unspeakable loss and quiet rage.Two weeks later, Operation Sindoor was launched. The name was chosen not to project might, but to mourn – marking the vermillion that had been wiped from so many foreheads. Operation Sindoor was a firm declaration that acts of terrorism would not go unanswered. Over 100 terrorists were reportedly eliminated and their terror bases in Pakistan were reduced to rubbles.Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation remarked, “Every terrorist and terror organisation now understands the consequences of attempting to harm the dignity and pride of our daughters and sisters.”The Pahalgam Attack and its aftermathThe Pahalgam incident stands as one of the most destructive civilian massacres in Jammu and Kashmir’s recent history. Armed militants carrying M4 carbines and AK-47s unleashed a brutal assault on unarmed civilians, including tourists and one local pony operator. The incident of terror had 26 casualties, including a local Muslim pony operator who in a valiant effort tried to protect the tourists. Many survived non-fatal injuries. This massacre was inadvertently filmed by a tourist who was ziplining down the valley. The video captured the noise of the gunshots, the cries for help and the chaos of the sheer spectacle. In the days that followed, the locals and the gurudwaras offered shelter to victims and terrified tourists while the injured were transferred to hospitals for further treatment.A temporary lockdown was imposed in the Pahalgam area while Indian Army helicopters and security forces were sent on a manhunt for the militants who fled to the Pir Panjal range. The Resistance Front, a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba which has been violently opposing the granting of domicile certificates to non-Kashmiri settlers through cold-blooded killing of civilians, initially claimed responsibility for the attack.However, they retracted their statement and accused Indian cyber-intelligence operatives of planting that statement. Furthermore, the National Investigation Agency of India (NIA) conducted an investigation and uncovered that all five militants were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba with traces connecting them to Pakistan. India, in response, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty until Pakistan discards its support for cross-border terrorism, closed the main border, cancelled all previously sanctioned Visas and imposed a travel ban of all Pakistani individuals to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption scheme. Pakistani military advisers stationed at the High Commission in Delhi were expelled while Indian military officials posted in Islamabad were called back.The discord which ensued in physical spaces trickled into cyberspaces too. A coordinated campaign spreading rumours and misinformation emerged from Pakistani social media accounts, which used AI-generated content and deepfakes to mock victims and discredit the Pahalgam attack as an internally orchestrated event were shared rapidly. This propaganda campaign directly targeted the integrity of India’s security and aimed at sowing communal discord.However, the Indian government responded with a firm hand by implementing digital vigilance measures – the information and broadcasting ministry issued strict advisories to Indian media channels to exercise caution against unverified or sensitive information.Operation Sindoor: A PaybackTwo weeks after the Pahalgam attack, Indian security forces retaliated with unwavering resolve. On May 7, Operation Sindoor was carried out – India’s first coordinated triservice military attack against Pakistan since the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. The seamless synergy among the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force resulted in dismantling of cross-border terror infrastructure including the vital training camps at Bahawalpur and Muridke, and the elimination of over 100 terrorists affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen, as confirmed by Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations of the Indian Army.The Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti confirmed that the Air Force achieved its mission objectives. Critical targets including ones in Lahore and Gujranwala were selected through intensive analysis and neutralized using precision air-to-surface munitions. These precision attacks were in retaliation to Pakistani provocations such as UAV intrusions and recurrent airspace violations. Several Pakistani aircrafts were intercepted; some were downed in an attempt to protect and prevent intrusion into India. Despite recurring efforts of drone and aircraft intrusion, India’s air defence neutralised every possible wave of aggression.On the maritime front, the Indian Navy maintained a firm position in the Northern Arabian Sea, keeping the Karachi port and other notable coastal targets within striking range as confirmed by AN Pramod, Vice Admiral of Indian Navy. On land, the Indian Army displayed valiant efforts while executing precision artillery and small arms strikes along the Line of Control, reportedly eliminating over 35 Pakistani personnel while observing strict discipline and a firm resolve to avoid civilian casualties – a stark contrast against Pakistani strikes that targeted populated villages and religious places.India’s arsenal: TechnologyOperation Sindoor, apart from being a military manoeuvre was also a representation of India’s technological evolution. Especially in the air defence front, it marked the deployment of a diverse range of air defence arsenal. Proven legacy systems such as the Pechora, OSA-AK and LLAD guns were used along with cutting edge India-made platforms like Akash Surface-toAir Missile (SAM) system. Akash was used independently or in conjunction with Electronic Counter-Counter measures, all mounted on mobile platforms. These systems formed the backbone of protection for the Indian territory. They created an impenetrable shield against Pakistani air deployments.With the help of the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), all air activity was seamlessly tracked, detected and neutralized when required. Indian security forces performed exceptionally not just on the defence front but on the attack front as well. Air strikes conducted by the air force were equally precise. Pakistani targets including air defence radars in Lahore and Gunranwala and enemy airbases at Noor Khan and Rahimyar Khan were neutralised using loitering munitions and precision-guided weapons. These strikes were completed under a record time of 23 minutes. Jamming Chinese-origin Pakistani air defence systems, India established superiority in terms of electronic warfare capabilities.A doctrinal change in policy: Zero-tolerance for terrorismOperation Sindoor now stands as a testament to the Indian government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a firm resolve against terrorism. By opting for calibrated and high-precision strikes against Pakistan, while avoiding civilian casualties – the government demonstrated a doctrinal change in combating terrorism. With a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, Modi himself remarked “Operation Sindoor is not an exception. It is the new normal.”This marks a departure from the previous restraint that India’s defence strategy has observed. While past governments walked on a diplomatic tightrope, India today will not hesitate to use calibrated force when its sovereignty and security are threatened.(Pinky Anand is a former additional solicitor general and senior advocate. Views expressed are personal.)