‘Will Strike Deeper Within India, Starting from East’: Pakistan Army on Potential Sindoor-Like Operation
On August 4, 2025, Pakistan’s military leadership issued a provocative statement, warning that any future Indian military action akin to Operation Sindoor would trigger a “deeper” retaliatory strike, “starting from India’s east.” This escalation in rhetoric follows the brief but intense India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025, sparked by India’s Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The statement, attributed to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, raising concerns about the potential for a broader conflict. Here’s a detailed analysis of the statement, its context, and the implications for regional stability.
Background: Operation Sindoor and Its Aftermath
Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7, 2025, was a retaliatory military campaign in response to the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists. India accused Pakistan of supporting militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), prompting missile and drone strikes on nine terrorist sites across Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Kotli. India claimed the operation killed over 100 terrorists, including key figures linked to past attacks, while Pakistan reported 31 civilian deaths, including in strikes on mosques, and accused India of aggression.
Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos on May 10, 2025, targeting Indian military installations in Srinagar, Jammu, and other northern and western cities. The conflict, marked by drone and missile exchanges, was the heaviest since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. A US-brokered ceasefire on May 10, 2025, halted hostilities, but both sides claimed victory, with India asserting a “new benchmark” in its deterrence strategy and Pakistan celebrating its military’s “resilience.”
Pakistan’s Latest Warning
In a press conference on August 4, 2025, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, speaking on behalf of Pakistan’s military, warned: “If India dares to launch another Sindoor-like operation, Pakistan will strike deeper within India, starting from the east. Our response will be swift, decisive, and proportionate to any aggression.” The mention of “starting from the east” has drawn attention, as it suggests potential targets in India’s eastern states, such as West Bengal, Odisha, or the Northeast, far from the traditional Kashmir-centric conflict zone along the Line of Control (LoC). This marks a significant escalation in Pakistan’s rhetoric, hinting at a broader geographic scope for retaliation.
The statement comes amid ongoing diplomatic friction, with Pakistan rejecting India’s accusations of supporting terrorism and accusing India of violating its sovereignty. Chaudhry claimed Pakistan’s air defenses, bolstered by Chinese and Turkish technology, successfully downed Indian drones and missiles during Operation Sindoor, and warned that Pakistan’s military capabilities have since been enhanced. He also referenced the promotion of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to Field Marshal and the extension of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar’s tenure as evidence of Pakistan’s confidence in its military leadership.
Why the Focus on India’s East?
Pakistan’s mention of striking “from the east” is unprecedented and raises questions about its strategic intent. Several factors may explain this shift:
Geopolitical Signaling: Targeting India’s eastern regions could be a symbolic move to challenge India’s military dominance beyond the LoC. Eastern India, particularly the Northeast, is geographically distant from Pakistan, suggesting reliance on long-range missiles or drones, possibly acquired from allies like China or Turkey.
Exploiting Vulnerabilities: India’s eastern states, particularly the Northeast, have faced insurgencies and logistical challenges, making them potentially vulnerable to disruption. Pakistan may aim to exploit perceived weaknesses in India’s security infrastructure in these regions.
Chinese Influence: Pakistan’s military alignment with China, including access to Chinese-made J-10 fighters and drones, may embolden it to project power deeper into India. China’s strategic interests in India’s Northeast, particularly Arunachal Pradesh, could align with Pakistan’s threats, creating a two-front challenge for India.
Psychological Warfare: The statement may be intended to provoke fear and uncertainty in India, forcing New Delhi to divert resources to protect eastern states and dilute its focus on the western border.
India’s Response and Strategic Posture
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) swiftly condemned Pakistan’s statement as “irresponsible and provocative,” reiterating its commitment to “decisive action” against terrorism. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized that Operation Sindoor was a “measured and non-escalatory” response to the Pahalgam attack, targeting only terrorist infrastructure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a speech on May 12, 2025, had already warned that India’s military actions were paused, not concluded, and that any further terrorist attacks would prompt a response.
India’s military has bolstered its eastern defenses in recent years, with deployments of BrahMos missiles, Rafale fighters, and S-400 air defense systems in the region. The Indian Air Force’s successful use of indigenous and French-made stand-off weapons during Operation Sindoor, including BrahMos and SCALP missiles, demonstrated its capability to strike deep into Pakistan. Analysts suggest India could counter Pakistan’s threats by further strengthening its eastern air bases, such as Tezpur and Chabua, and enhancing surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
Regional and Global Implications
Pakistan’s threat to strike India’s east escalates an already volatile situation, with several implications:
Risk of Escalation: A conflict extending to India’s east could involve longer-range weapons and civilian targets, increasing the risk of miscalculation between two nuclear-armed nations. Experts warn that such a scenario could spiral into a broader war, with catastrophic consequences.
International Concerns: The United Nations, United States, and other global powers have urged restraint. US President Donald Trump, who claimed credit for the May 10 ceasefire, called the situation a “bad nuclear war” risk, underscoring global fears of escalation.
Impact on Kashmir: Residents of Jammu and Kashmir, caught in the crossfire, continue to suffer. The 2025 conflict saw 15–16 civilian deaths on the Indian side and 31 on the Pakistani side, with both nations accusing each other of targeting civilians.
Social Media Sentiment: Posts on X reflect polarized reactions. Some Indian users celebrated Operation Sindoor’s precision, with claims of no Indian losses and significant damage to Pakistan’s air defenses. Others, including Pakistani voices, argue that Pakistan’s air defenses outperformed expectations, downing Indian jets. These claims remain unverified, highlighting the role of misinformation in escalating tensions.
Challenges and Future Outlook
Pakistan’s threat to strike India’s east faces practical hurdles. Its air defenses, despite claims of success, struggled against India’s precision strikes during Operation Sindoor, with Chinese-made systems proving ineffective against BrahMos missiles. Pakistan’s ability to project power 2,000–3,000 kilometers into India’s east would require advanced long-range capabilities, which it currently lacks without significant Chinese or Turkish support.
For India, the challenge lies in maintaining deterrence while avoiding escalation. Operation Sindoor marked a shift toward routine, calibrated retaliation, with India targeting terrorist infrastructure deep in Pakistan, including near Lahore. However, Pakistan’s threat to expand the conflict geographically could force India to rethink its “mowing the grass” strategy, potentially targeting Pakistani military assets in future operations.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s warning of “deeper strikes starting from India’s east” in response to another Sindoor-like operation signals a dangerous escalation in the India-Pakistan rivalry. Rooted in the fallout of the May 2025 conflict, this rhetoric reflects Pakistan’s attempt to counter India’s growing military assertiveness and strategic clarity. While India remains committed to targeting terrorism, Pakistan’s provocative stance risks broadening the conflict beyond Kashmir, threatening regional stability. Both nations, under global scrutiny, must prioritize diplomacy to prevent a misstep that could lead to catastrophic consequences. As the Kashmir dispute continues to fuel tensions, the international community, including the US and UN, must push for de-escalation and a long-term resolution to avoid further loss of life.
Sources: Wikipedia, Al Jazeera, The Hindu, Times of India, Reuters, Carnegie Endowment, Stimson Center, War on the Rocks, RUSI, Brookings, PIB, CNN, The Guardian, Le Monde, CFR
