India’s Operation Sindoor: A Justifiable Response to Pakistani Territorial Threats
Washington: Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has publicly endorsed India’s actions in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people. In a statement released on Wednesday, Bolton emphasized that India had the right to act in self-defense against terrorist activities originating from within Pakistan.
Bolton, speaking to ANI, stressed the importance of Pakistan controlling such activities within its borders, warning that failure to do so could lead to severe consequences. He also highlighted the increasing influence of China in Pakistan, noting that Chinese military aircraft have been supplied to the country, thereby escalating the threat to India, particularly in its western region.
“India was certainly entitled to act in self-defense against locations inside Pakistan where the terrorist attack was planned and carried out from. It is a significant issue when a country cannot control that kind of terrorist activity going on in its territory or, indeed, maybe contributing to it. India’s action was entirely justifiable, but it does raise questions about whether there is any possibility of persuading the Pakistani government that this is ultimately not in their interest and can lead to much worse consequences for them if they don’t get it under control,” Bolton stated.
“The fact that Chinese military planes supplied to Pakistan were prominent in Pakistan’s response signifies the growing Chinese influence inside Pakistan, which increases the threat to India, certainly in its western flank,” he added.
Further, Bolton noted that the response following the Pahalgam attack was a “cut above” what had happened in 2019, referring to the Pulwama attack. “This is a long-standing issue, but the escalation, the military response, and the back and forth between India and Pakistan before the ceasefire was agreed to were a cut above what happened in DEALINGS, when there was a similar terrorist attack in Kashmir,” the former NSA stated.
India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Following the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions. In response, India launched a coordinated attack that damaged radar infrastructure, communication centers, and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan.
On May 10, an understanding of the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was reached.