Along the border separating India from Pakistan, the aftermath of five days of aerial combat hangs in the air, thick with uncertainty. The conflict’s true legacy may be a dangerous new normal, analysts say – one where escalation is only ever a provocation away.
New Delhi maintains that Operation Sindoor – launched in response to a deadly terrorist attack in disputed Kashmir in April that it blamed on Islamabad – is far from concluded, hinting at the possibility of further punitive actions.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has promoted its army chief of staff, Asim Munir, to field marshal for what it regards as a successful defence of the nation between May 7 and 11.
Officials in Islamabad insist the country stands ready for renewed clashes, but caution that any escalation risks plunging both nations into a nuclear-armed stand-off. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed not to succumb to what he calls Pakistan’s “nuclear blackmail”.
Any future confrontation could unfold in myriad ways, analysts say, shaped by the evolving strengths and vulnerabilities of both militaries.
