Operation Sindoor: A look at India's past military conflicts with Pakistan

'Operation Sindoor' is the latest in the long history of military and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, rooted in the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir

India-Pakistan conflict history: In a major military response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, India launched Operation Sindoor, striking nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). In a press briefing, the government said the strikes were carried out with precision, aiming to neutralise terror threats along the border.

 

The action follows a long history of military and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, rooted in the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Timeline of key India-Pakistan clashes

 

1947 – First Indo-Pak war

 

The first war began shortly after partition when Pakistan-backed tribal forces entered Jammu and Kashmir. India responded with military deployment. The conflict ended in 1949 with a UN ceasefire, resulting in the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).

 

 

1965 – Second Indo-Pak war

 

Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar to infiltrate Kashmir. India retaliated with a large-scale offensive. A ceasefire was later arranged by the Soviet Union and the US, leading to the Tashkent Agreement.

 

1971 – Bangladesh Liberation war

 

India intervened in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) after Pakistan’s military crackdown. The war ended with the surrender of Pakistani forces on December 16, 1971, and the formation of Bangladesh. With ‘Operation Sindoor’, India conducted strike in Pakistan’s Punjab region for the first time since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

 

1999 – Kargil war

 

Pakistani troops and militants infiltrated Kargil. India launched Operation Vijay to reclaim the occupied posts. The conflict ended in July with Indian forces regaining control.

 

2016 – Uri attack and surgical strikes

 

Following a terror attack on an Indian Army base in Uri, India conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK.

 

2019 – Pulwama attack and Balakot strikes

 

After 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Pulwama, India conducted airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Balakot, marking the first aerial attack inside Pakistan since 1971.

 

2025 – Operation Sindoor

 

India launched missile strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. This included Bahawalpur, where terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar's family members were reportedly killed.