NEW DELHI: India has drawn a firm redline in its security posture with Pakistan: any provocation will trigger a sharper, more forceful response. “If they fire, we fire”—that’s the new normal, sources said, following the cross-border strikes under Operation Sindoor, which they emphasised is still ongoing.“Operation Sindoor is not concluded, there is a new normal in India’s response to cross-border terrorism,” said sources familiar with the matter. Launched after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, the operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to sources, gave the armed forces a clear directive: “Wahan se goli chalegi, toh yahan se gola chalega”— If bullets come from there, shells will come from here.Sources said India is determined to raise the cost of cross-border terrorism, making it clear that Pakistan cannot selectively seek cooperation while continuing to shelter and support terror networks.Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly told US. Vice President JD Vance that any hostile action from Pakistan would invite a “far stronger and more devastating Indian response.” That same night, after Pakistan targeted 26 sites, India retaliated with overwhelming force at the neighbour’s air bases.India-Pakistan ceasefire briefing HIGHLIGHTS | All IAF pilots home, Pakistani jets downed, combat goals metThe government’s post-strike stance, sources said, is unambiguous: if Pakistan fires, India will hit back harder; if Pakistan stops, India will halt too. All communication will remain limited to the military channel through the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs). “There is no other issue to discuss,” sources added.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile addressing a defence facility event virtually on Sunday, described Operation Sindoor as a “symbol of India’s political, social and strategic willpower.”“This was not just a military operation—it was justice delivered for the innocent families who lost their lives to terrorism on Indian soil,” he said. Singh underscored that strikes like Uri, Pulwama, and now Pahalgam, have shown the world that India can and will strike beyond its borders in response to terror attacks.While India targeted only terror camps and avoided civilian areas, Rajnath Singh accused Pakistan of shelling Indian civilian zones and even attempting to hit temples, gurudwaras, and churches. In retaliation, India struck multiple military targets, including locations near Rawalpindi, home to Pakistan’s military headquarters.Meanwhile, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the situation on the western borders and granted full authority to commanders for “kinetic counteraction” if Pakistan violates the May 10 ceasefire understanding.That truce came after Pakistan’s DGMO initiated a call at 15:35 on May 10. The ceasefire took effect at 17:00 hours. A follow-up call is scheduled for May 12 at noon. Second BSF personnel succumbs to injury in JammuMeanwhile, government sources on Sunday said to PTI that through Operation Sindoor, India has called Pakistan’s nuclear bluff and demonstrated that its security calculus will no longer be restrained by the fear of nuclear escalation. They added that while India takes nuclear threats seriously, it will not allow them to serve as a shield for state-sponsored terrorism.“There is a new normal now—the LoC will not protect you, the international border will not protect you, and the nuclear threat will not protect you,” a senior official said, reported PTI.Sources asserted that on this occasion, India specifically targeted the leadership and command centres of terror groups—”the head of the snake, not just the foot soldiers.” They said the country has demonstrated a sharpened intent to neutralise threats at their source, even deep inside Pakistani territory.On the diplomatic front, the government made it clear that there will be no discussion or mediation on Kashmir, and the only bilateral issue on the table remains the return of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) to India.(With Inputs from PTI)‘We can target every system at Pakistan’s bases’: IAF warns amid measured strikes, fresh violations
Source link
