The Indian government has clarified, both for the world and Pakistan, that it went for the "snake's head and not foot soldiers" this time, demonstrating its new approach to kill terrorists within Pakistan.
India launched Operation Sindoor, a counterstrike in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on tourists in which 26 people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, on May 7 against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
The Indian Armed Forces carried out coordinated precision missile strikes on nine terrorist facilities - four in Pakistan (including Bahawalpur and Muridke) and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (such as Muzaffarabad and Kotli).
"The message that has been sent is that no matter where you are in Pakistan, we will hit you. On this occasion, we have gone after the head of the snake and not foot soldiers," a source told NDTV.
"It showed our approach of 'ghar me ghus ke marenge (kill them within their home)'," said the source.
These facilities were key command centers for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), responsible for attacks like Pulwama (2019) and Mumbai (2008), respectively.
Despite provocation and attacks on civilians by Pakistan, India said it responded with precision and restraint, targeting terror bases and striking military installations only after Pakistan escalated conflict.
"We have called their nuclear deterrence bluff. We take the nuclear threat seriously, but it cannot serve as cover for Pakistan to come and do terrorism in our country," the source said.
"The new normal is that the Line of Control will not protect you; the international border will not protect you; the nuclear threat will not protect you," the source further added.
The strikes extended hundreds of kilometers inside Pakistan, not just Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
India has made it clear, said the source, that neither the LoC nor internal Pakistani geography is off-limits if terror emanates from its soil.
"India's response asserted a doctrinal shift toward calibrated deterrence. Operation Sindoor has drawn a red line Pakistan can no longer ignore - that terrorism as state policy will trigger targeted, visible consequences," said the source.
Several terrorists were eliminated, including those on India's most wanted list, said the source, adding that the leadership of multiple terror modules has been wiped out in a single night.
"India showed the world that it will not wait for permission to defend its people. Terror will be punished - anytime, anywhere. It also showed that terrorists and their masterminds have no place to hide," the source signed off.
