“Operation Sindoor Achieved Strategic Objectives in Record Time,” Says American Military Analyst

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former American soldier, author and military analyst John Spencer has described 'Operation Sindoor' as a big victory for India. He said that in a well-planned action of four days, 'Operation Sindoor' not only fulfilled its strategic objectives, but it also went beyond them.

John Spencer has written a post on his 'X' account about the action of the Indian Army. He said, "After just four days of precise military action, it is objectively clear that India achieved a major victory, which included important things like destroying the terrorist infrastructure, demonstrating military superiority, restoring deterrence and unveiling a new national security doctrine."

John said that 'Operation Sindoor' has currently come to a sensitive pause, which some may call a ceasefire. But military officials have deliberately avoided this word. From the perspective of war, this is not just a pause, but it is a strategic pause after a clear military victory. India has not declared Operation Sindoor completely over.

Referring to the Pahalgam incident, he wrote that India was attacked on April 22, 2025, when 26 Indian civilians, mostly Hindu tourists, were killed in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), a branch of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility and was supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This has been the situation for decades. But, this time India did not wait. Neither did it appeal for international mediation nor did it issue a diplomatic note. India deployed fighter aircraft and launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7, a swift and precise military operation.

John Spencer said that under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force attacked nine terrorist bases in Pakistan, including the headquarters and operational centers of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba. The message was clear that terrorist attacks carried out from Pakistani soil will now be considered an act of war. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified the new policy that India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will launch a precise and decisive attack on terrorist bases developing under the guise of nuclear blackmail. This was not just a retaliation, but the unveiling of a strategic policy. PM Modi made it clear that terror and dialogue cannot go together. Water and blood cannot flow together.

John Spencer said that 'Operation Sindoor' was executed in a planned and phased manner. On May 7, the Indian Army carried out nine precise attacks deep inside PoK and Pakistani territory. In these attacks, major terrorist training camps and logistics centers were targeted in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad and other places.

Pakistan then launched massive drone attacks on India's western states on May 8. But India's domestically built multi-layered air defense network neutralized almost all of them. On May 9, India launched additional attacks on six Pakistani military airbases and drone coordination centers.

This was followed by a temporary halt to firing on May 10. India did not call it a ceasefire, but the army referred to it as a “cessation of firing”. The choice of these words was deliberate, reinforcing India's strategic control over the situation. This was not just a tactical success. It was a policy implementation in a state of war.

Spencer further wrote that India also achieved some important strategic effects from this action. For example, now terrorist attacks from Pakistani soil will be responded to with military force. Operation Sindoor is an example of this. India proved its superiority by demonstrating its ability to attack any target in Pakistan. India responded strongly and kept the situation under its control. India handled this crisis without the help of international mediation, which is in accordance with the sovereignty of the country. 'Operation Sindoor' was a limited action, which was carried out for specific purposes.

Spencer said of critics of the ceasefire, “Critics who say India should have gone further miss the point. Strategic success depends not on the scale of destruction but on the desired political effect. India was not fighting for retaliation, it was fighting for deterrence and it worked. India's restraint is not weakness, it is maturity. India did not just respond to attack. It changed the strategic equation. 'Operation Sindoor' was a display of disciplined military strategy. India withstood the attack, defined its objective and achieved it in a limited time.”

John Spencer praised the actions of the 'new India'. He said, “The India of 2008 would take attacks and wait. This India responds with promptness, precision and clarity. PM Modi's policies, India's growing indigenous defence industry and the professionalism of its armed forces indicate that the country is now ready for the next war. If provoked again, it will strike again. Operation Sindoor was a modern war, fought within a limited objective, under the shadow of a nuclear attack, and global attention. By all accounts, it was a strategic success and a decisive Indian victory.