India launched missile strikes on targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early Wednesday, marking the most serious military escalation in years between the nuclear-armed rivals and raising fears of a broader conflict – one that analysts say may serve New Delhi’s domestic political aims but risks triggering unpredictable retaliation from Islamabad.
The strikes – which Indian authorities dubbed “Operation Sindoor” – came in retaliation for an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 Indian tourists dead. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, a claim Islamabad has denied.
The Indian Defence Ministry said “precision strikes at terrorist camps” at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir were conducted, following which the nation’s military posted on social media: “Justice is served. Jai Hind [Victory for India].”
Pushpesh Pant, former dean of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the strikes were “more optics than kinetics”, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi needed to show a strong response after the Kashmir killings triggered national outrage.
“In India, you have very interesting reports which say Modi has taken a leaf out of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza. It is not true as then the attacks would have been massive,” said Pant.
The attack posed a direct challenge to the narrative of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding Kashmir. Modi’s government revoked the region’s semi-autonomous status in 2019 and has since touted improvements in security and development as a key national achievement.
