India’s Operation Sindoor: A Justifiable Response to Pakistani Terrorism
Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has praised India’s decision to take military action against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people. Bolton stated that India’s response was entirely justifiable, emphasizing the need for Pakistan to control terrorist activities within its borders.
Speaking to ANI, Bolton warned that Pakistan would face severe consequences if it failed to address the issue. He also highlighted the growing influence of China in Pakistan, noting that Chinese military planes supplied to the country were prominent in Pakistan’s response to the attack.
“India was certainly entitled to act in self-defense against locations inside Pakistan where the terrorist attack was planned and carried out from,” Bolton said. “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,” he added.
“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 continued.
Bolton also noted that the response following the Pahalgity 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 2019, 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, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like 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 and 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 took place.