“अहिंसा परमो धर्मः धर्म हिंसा तथैव च:”
(Non-violence is the greatest virtue, but violence for the sake of dharma is a duty.)
India, on 7 May, 2025, launched a series of missile strikes at 9 locations in Pakistan, targeting terror training centres and launchpads. This attack was a response to the grotesque Pahalgam terror attack carried out by the Pakistani state on innocent tourists on April 22, 2025. India’s response was seen in the line with the previous operations carried out post-URI and Pulwama terror attacks. However, what sets Operation Sindoor apart from its predecessors is the sheer comprehensive coordination between all 3 wings—Air, Navy, and Army of the Indian armed forces. The primary objective of this operation was to re-establish deterrence against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism by imposing greater punitive costs upon the Pakistani state. It is to deter Pakistan from using terror as a tool of statecraft against India. In this piece we’ll decipher the symbolics, rationale and implications of this operation while debunking Pakistan’s disinformation campaign.
PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACK: PAKISTAN’S DESPERATE RESORT
On April 22, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack occurred in Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, primarily Hindu tourists, and injuring at least 20 others. The perpetrators killed the innocent based on their religious identity, touching a new low on the scale of terror. The motive behind this cowardly attack was not only to kill the innocents but also to create a fear psychosis in the minds of the victims. Killing based on religious identities further unveils the nefarious intent of Pakistan-backed terrorists to wedge a rift between communities and create communal tensions in the country. For the Pakistan army, this was a last-ditch effort to hinder progress and prosperity in Indian Kashmir. However, bleeding innocent blood in Kashmir is not the only rationale behind this attack. Geopolitical analysts believe this attack also had personal reasons for Gen. Asif Muneer.
Domestically, Gen. Asif Muneer grappled with a crisis of credibility—both within the military and among the public. Allegations of election rigging and the imprisonment of Imran Khan severely eroded the Army’s image, even in Punjab, its traditional bastion of support. Simultaneously, the security landscape deteriorated. Insurgent attacks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) intensified in scale and sophistication. The hijacking of the Jaffar Express by BLA exemplified this threat. In desperate need of a unifying distraction, Gen. Muneer seized on the Pahalgam terror attack. The incident allowed him to shift focus from internal instability to an external enemy, rallying national sentiment behind the military. The calculated use of this crisis not only shielded him from mounting criticism but also elevated his stature. Ultimately, the narrative shift paved the way for his unprecedented promotion to Field Marshal—cementing his grip on power amid deep domestic turmoil.
DECRYPTING OPERATION SINDOOR: DEBUNKING PAKISTAN’S DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN
Aeschylus wisely said, In war, truth is the first casualty. Unfortunately for Pakistan, this maxim turned out to be their entire war doctrine. In the aftermath of this 100-hour conflict, Pakistan’s only accomplishment is its seemingly successful disinformation campaign of obscuring the facts and concocting fictional victories. But, as they say, a lie has no legs; Pakistan’s lies too came with an expiry. As the fog of war settled, facts emerged; Pakistan’s lies got no takers. To elucidate what transpired during this entire conflict to a layman, it becomes imperative to debunk Pakistan’s disinformation campaign. Here are a few lies peddled by Pakistan and its social media bots during Operations Sindoor.
• SHOOTING DOWN OF IAF AIRCRAFT
On 7 May, 2025, Pakistan came up with a farcical claim of shooting down 5 Indian jets out of 80 jets involved in Operation Sindoor. These claims were utter rhetoric, as no evidence was shown to back them. The only piece of evidence Pakistanis wave out is a statement made by CDS Anil Chauhan about a tactical mistake which led to the grounding of an Indian aircraft. This statement was then twisted by Pakistanis and presented as an admission from the Indian side. To validate its lies, Pakistan further claimed to have recorded electronic signals of hitting Rafale aircraft. However, these hollow claims were far from truth.
Now, as far as electronic signals are concerned, to be fair to Pakistan, it indeed has recorded some electronic signals. But, in reality, the signals aren’t from an actual aircraft but a decoy used to hoodwink Pakistani AD systems. The Rafale aircraft uses an X-Guard towed decoy system in its SPECTRA electronic warfare suite. It is a towed decoy deployed on a 100-meter fiber-optic cable. It emits a jamming signal that mimics the radar cross-section of the Rafale, making it appear as the primary target to incoming missiles. Hence, the fact of the matter is that the Indian Air Force outmaneuvered Pakistani air defence while accomplishing all its objectives. This exceptional display of skills is lauded by several defence experts, including a former U.S. Air Force F-15E pilot, Ryan Bodenheimer. He described IAF’s tactics as “the best spoofing and deception we’ve ever seen.”
• NO MAJOR CASUALTIES SUFFERED
Since the inception of the operation, Pakistan has repeatedly flip-flopped on casualty figures, clinging to a false narrative of victory. In classic “denial doctrine” style, it claimed no major losses—even when facts suggested otherwise. However, such hollow claims no longer stand in the modern era of warfare, where satellite imagery and open-source intelligence (OSINT) expose the truth. On 11 May, India released satellite images showing the precise targets destroyed, later confirmed by high-resolution visuals from the U.S.-based Maxar Technologies. Even some Pakistani journalists and former military officials acknowledged the losses. Moreover, videos recorded by local civilians showing widespread damage further punctured Islamabad’s narrative, revealing the reality behind its illusion of success.
• HITTING TARGETS ON INDIAN SIDE
In response to India’s Operation Sindoor, Pakistan launched its own tacky counter-offensive, dubbing it Operation Bunyan al Marsous. It made sensational claims—destroying the S-400 system at Adampur Airbase, launching drone swarms over Delhi, and hitting multiple Indian military installations. However, these turned out to be pure fiction—a desperate attempt to fabricate a semblance of success. In a bizarre move, Pakistan even shared a clip from the video game *Arma 3* via its official X handle to prove its “operational achievements”, turning itself into a global laughingstock. In contrast, India swiftly debunked these claims with credible evidence, including images of downed Turkish drones and intact Chinese PL-15E missiles. This not only reinforced India’s superior air defence and drone capabilities but also exposed the poor quality of Pakistani hardware and the hollowness of its propaganda.
OPERATION SINDOOR: POST ANALYSIS
There is no doubt about the resounding success of Operation Sindoor, with all strategic objectives achieved. However, every conflict brings valuable lessons, and this one is no exception. The most pressing takeaway for India is the urgent need to strengthen its strategic communication framework. Modern warfare is no longer confined to the battlefield—it extends into the realm of perception and narrative. While India dominated militarily, its slow and ineffective communication allowed Pakistan’s ISPR to push its false narrative unchallenged. This communication gap diluted India’s achievements. To counter this, India must establish a dedicated 24/7 public relations and information warfare unit capable of swiftly dismantling disinformation and projecting facts. Success on the ground must be matched by success in narrative dominance; otherwise, hard-won victories risk being undermined by propaganda.
