Operation Sindoor Highlights History of India-Pakistan Attacks and Conflicts
India’s Operation Sindoor, a military strike targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has brought renewed attention to the series of attacks and conflicts defining India-Pakistan relations since their 1947 partition. Launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, the operation underscores a decades-long cycle of violence.
The 1947-48 Indo-Pak war, sparked by Pakistan’s incursion into Jammu and Kashmir post-partition, set the stage for enduring hostility. The conflict, ending with a UN-brokered ceasefire and the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC), left Kashmir divided, with India controlling two-thirds and Pakistan the rest. In 1965, Pakistan’s Operation Gibraltar infiltrated Kashmir to ignite an insurgency, leading to a second war that concluded in a stalemate via the Tashkent Agreement.
The 1971 war, driven by East Pakistan’s independence movement, saw India back the creation of Bangladesh, culminating in Pakistan’s surrender in Dhaka, a major setback for Islamabad. The 1999 Kargil War followed Pakistan’s LoC incursion, prompting India’s military response to reclaim territory, with over 500 Indian and 700 Pakistani deaths.
Terror attacks have further fueled tensions. The 2001 Parliament attack and 2008 Mumbai attacks, linked to Pakistan-based groups, severely strained ties. India’s 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot airstrike targeted terror camps in Pakistan, responding to cross-border attacks. Operation Sindoor, executed by India’s Army, Navy, and Air Force, hit nine terror sites, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed strongholds, while avoiding Pakistani military targets to curb escalation. Pakistan, alleging civilian casualties, has vowed retaliation.
The history of India-Pakistan conflict, marked by wars, infiltrations, and terror attacks, continues to drive their volatile relationship, with Operation Sindoor as its latest flashpoint.