On the night of 6-7 May 2025, the government of India launched Operation Sindoor against terrorists and their infrastructure deep inside Pakistan to avenge the daytime and religiously motivated killing of Hindu men holidaying with their families in Baisaran meadow uphill from Pahalgam a fortnight ago. 

Even though the preliminary attacks were carried out by the Indian Air Force by crossing into Pakistani airspace, the government maintained that it was not a war against Pakistan, but terrorism. Hence, by the morning of May 7, the government was already talking of ceasing fire, telling Pakistan that it had no intentions of further attacks. Hence, it should also not launch a counterattack on India. Pakistan refused to heed the advice and launched its own Operation Bunyan un Marsoos. Finally, after four days of tit for tat attacks and counter attacks, ceasefire was accepted by both sides.

US President Donald Trump said that he forced India and Pakistan through carrot and stick—increased trade vs tariffs—to accept the ceasefire. Pakistan profusely thanked him for his efforts, going to the extent of nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. India bristled at Trump’s claims and insisted that there was no mediation. It accepted the ceasefire requested by Pakistan. Thereafter, even as Prime Minister Modi’s ‘personal equation’ with Trump soured, government sent out seven all-party delegations to over 30 countries at the cost of Rs 13.11 crore, to convince the world of India’s victory. The delegation to the US was led by Congress member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor.

Tharoor’s persuasive oratory in the US fell short. And in November 2025, the report from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), a US congressional panel observed that Pakistan had an ‘upper hand’ in Operation Sindoor primarily because of China’s military hardware.

Though government encouraged writing and publication of several books on Operation Sindoor, within months of the war, one of which is also going to be converted into a motion picture, and all ministers led by defence minister Rajnath Singh do not tire of talking about it at all national and international forums including at the recent SCO defence ministers’ meet in Kyrgyzstan, the anniversary celebrations of the brief war have been muted. Sign of maturity? One never knows.

But the May issue of FORCE is taking stock of Operation Sindoor. How has that brief war with Pakistan affected India’s conventional military deterrence against Pakistan and how it has enabled coalescing of Pakistan-China threat as one. This is something also accepted in some formulation by a senior Indian Army officer who in a talk said that India faces one front and two enemies.

Of course, we have a commentary on the war in West Asia, as well as an exclusive interview with a Kurd leader, conducted by Nandita Haksar. Then there are FORCE regulars, news, reports and features. Read on.