Operation Sindoor: Three phases of the attle; Pakistan brought to its knees within 86 hours

To execute the first phase of the operation, the Indian Air Force used Dassault Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. Within the first half hour, terrorist camps and launch pads inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were destroyed.

This is an India that enters the enemy’s territory and strikes. Pakistan had forgotten that. It had forgotten that after a terror attack, India can launch surgical strikes and wipe out terrorist hideouts. And if the Pakistani Army steps in to protect the terrorists, they too will be taught a lesson they will never forget.
That is exactly what the Indian armed forces did on the night of May 6–7 last year. India avenged the Pahalgam attack with such precise strikes that their marks are still visible on Pakistani soil today. On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, understand the three phases of India’s offensive against Pakistan — an operation that forced Pakistan to its knees within 86 hours.

Three phases of the offensive

A) Destruction of terrorist hideouts in the first phase
B) Disruption of army communication systems in the second phase
C) Destruction of 12 military bases in the third phase

1. Secret, precise and completely surgical strike

At 1:30 am on the night of May 6–7, 2025, strikes were carried out on nine terrorist hideouts. This was the first phase of Operation Sindoor — secret, precise, and entirely surgical in nature.

It was retaliation for the blood of the 26 tourists killed by Pakistani terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, and for the grief of the women who lost their husbands. That is why the operation was named “Sindoor.”

The following terrorist bases were destroyed in these attacks:

Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur
Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Muridke
Jaish launch pad in Sarjal
Hizbul Mujahideen training center in Mehmoona Joya
Lashkar training camp in Bhimber
Jaish center in Kotli
Hizbul training center in Kotli
Lashkar camp and markaz in Muzaffarabad

To execute the first phase of the operation, the Indian Air Force used Dassault Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. Within the first half hour, terrorist camps and launch pads inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were destroyed.

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2. Pakistan’s entire military communication system targeted

After the strikes on terrorist hideouts, the Pakistani government mobilized its army and declared war against India. This was despite India making it clear that the strikes were not against Pakistan, but against terrorists who were plotting anti-India conspiracies.

However, as soon as the Pakistani military turned aggressive, the Indian armed forces activated the second phase of Operation Sindoor. In this phase, the targets were the communication systems of the Pakistani military and air force.

The Indian Army jammed some parts of Pakistan’s Chinese-made air defense system and completely destroyed others. After the communication system was crippled, no Pakistani drone or fighter jet was able to hit any target inside India. Meanwhile, the breakdown of Pakistan’s communication network helped the Indian Air Force complete its operation successfully.

In this way, during the second stage of Operation Sindoor, India effectively rendered the Pakistani Army blind and deaf.

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3. Pakistan’s military and air bases on target

In the third phase of Operation Sindoor, the way the Indian armed forces destroyed Pakistani airbases is exemplified by the Noor Khan Airbase, where repair work is still ongoing even today.

During this stage, Pakistan also attempted retaliation, but through the “Integrated Counter-UAS Grid,” India successfully foiled all Pakistani attacks. Fortunately, Pakistan realized that if a prolonged war with India continued, its very existence could be wiped off the map.

The war came to a halt. However, Pakistan is still not ready to introspect about the terrorism it shelters.