In the pre-dawn darkness of May 7, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, a highly calculated and precision-targeted military response against nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK).
The strikes came just two weeks
after the Pahalgam massacre, where 26 civilians including foreign nationals
were gunned down in an attack India attributes to Pakistan-backed terror
outfits.
While the operation was intense
in execution, it was also marked by its restraint and clarity. India
deliberately avoided full-blown war, directing its firepower solely at
terrorist infrastructure, not Pakistani military installations or civilian
areas.
For a country like Malaysia,
which maintains a posture of strategic neutrality and internal stability in a
complex region, Operation Sindoor offers significant lessons in deterrence,
precision warfare, and national defence preparedness.
Precision Over Provocation
India's reaction was not a hasty
act of vengeance; rather, it represented a measured exhibition of technological
prowess and strategic sophistication.
Conducted between 1:05 AM and
1:30 AM, the operations reportedly employed long-range precision-guided
munitions, likely including advanced cruise missiles such as BrahMos and smart
glide bombs, launched from within Indian airspace.
Intelligence was acquired through
satellite monitoring, drone surveillance, and advanced ISR (Intelligence,
Surveillance, Reconnaissance) systems, facilitating precise targeting of
terrorist camps while reducing collateral damage.
This marks a notable doctrinal
evolution for India.
Previously, the subcontinent was
a potential site for rapid escalation; however, India has now adopted a model
of 'deterrence by precision' that punishes wrongdoers without provoking open
conflict.
This strategic retaliation
framework is one that Malaysia should examine closely, particularly in the
context of regional threats posed by piracy, extremist networks, and
cross-border militant activities in Southeast Asia.
Why India Struck: Pakistan’s
Complicity and Inaction
The primary impetus for Operation
Sindoor stems from a persistent challenge: Pakistan's inability to dismantle
terrorist organizations operating within its territory.
Groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba
and Jaish-e-Muhammad, which have been linked to incidents like the 2008 Mumbai
attacks and numerous killings related to Kashmir, continue to find refuge in
Pakistan.
Training camps located in areas
such as Muridke, Sialkot, and Kotli are well-documented yet seldom disrupted by
Pakistani authorities. India has consistently issued diplomatic warnings and
provided intelligence.
However, following Pakistan's
inaction after the widely condemned Pahalgam attack, which resulted in the
deaths of civilians, including a naval officer, a child, and foreign tourists,
India determined that military deterrence was the only feasible course of
action.
For Malaysia, the implications
are significant: a country that neglects to address internal threats or permits
transnational terrorist organizations to utilize its territory jeopardizes its
international credibility and invites strategic retaliation. Inaction may be
perceived as complicity, undermining a nation's standing on the global stage.
Pakistan’s Intelligence and
Defence Failure
A particularly notable feature of
Operation Sindoor is Pakistan's inability to detect or foresee the strike,
despite maintaining military readiness along the Line of Control for years and
a history of Indian retaliatory measures following terrorist incidents.
This failure can be attributed to
several factors, including an excessive dependence on conventional radar and
surveillance systems that inadequately identify terrain-hugging or
stealth-capable munitions, intelligence shortcomings in monitoring Indian military
movements or intercepting critical communications, and strategic
miscalculations that led to the assumption that India would opt for political
denunciation rather than military action.
The failure of early-warning
systems is a matter of concern for any nation with a vulnerable defence
perimeter.
Malaysia, situated near vital
maritime routes and regions experiencing sporadic insurgency, must prioritize
the integration, modernization, and real-time threat detection capabilities of
its defense systems, particularly in maritime and aerial contexts.
India’s Communication Strategy
India’s strategic communication
following the strikes was another lesson in modern conflict management.
Military briefings led by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sophiya
Qureshi laid out the objectives, targets, and rationale for the strike with
maps, footage, and technical detail.
India emphasized that no civilian
or military Pakistani targets were struck, reinforcing the image of a
restrained yet powerful actor on the global stage.
Malaysia should note that crisis
communication is as crucial as the operation itself. In moments of conflict or
terror response, clarity of intent, transparency of action, and consistent
messaging can prevent misinformation, maintain domestic unity, and ensure
international understanding.
Diplomacy in the Aftermath
Despite the surgical intensity of
the operation, India has shown no desire to escalate further. It stated clearly
that the strikes were over, had achieved their objective, and were meant as a
direct response to terrorism not a declaration of war.
This positioning allowed India to
withstand international scrutiny while also forcing Pakistan into a
diplomatically defensive posture.
In the context of Malaysia, the
key insight is that military intervention does not necessarily preclude
diplomatic efforts, as long as such actions are grounded in international law
and considerations of national security.
A strategic approach that
harmonizes deterrence with restraint not only enhances national defence but
also upholds regional credibility.
Operation Sindoor marks a new
chapter in India’s military doctrine: one that fuses precision, political
clarity, and strategic timing.
For Malaysia, which aspires to
remain both peaceful and prepared in a region of growing complexity, India’s
approach offers a crucial case study.
The future of warfare may no
longer be about prolonged conflict it may instead be about speed, accuracy, and
moral legitimacy.
Malaysia must ensure that its
military, intelligence, and policy frameworks evolve accordingly, lest it be
caught off guard by threats it didn’t see coming, or worse, failed to prepare
for.
07.05.2025
Kuala
Lumpur.
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