Operation Sindoor: 88 Hours That Redefined Deterrence

The Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 2025 and the Indian Army’s subsequent action were a matter of great public and strategic debate. The focus was on how the operation was conducted, its military outcome, and its implications for the relationship between India and Pakistan. The book, Operation Sindoor: 88 Hours that Redefined Deterrence by Maj. Gen. Dhruv C. Katoch and Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla, seeks to move focus away from the immediate events. The authors are not only trying to report on the events of the 88 hours of the Op but also gauge how the operation may have sparked a larger shift in India’s strategic thinking. This is the book’s overarching aim that distinguishes it from many contemporary accounts of the security crises. Those who have been reading the text with the hope of a regular military history may be surprised that before it reaches the actual Operation Sindoor, too much attention has been devoted to the historical development of Jammu and Kashmir and to Pakistan’s ideological trajectory. This is significant because it reflects the authors’ understanding of the crisis. The Pahalgam terrorist attack of 2025, in their opinion, is part and parcel of the journey of political tension, identity building and conflict between India and Pakistan since 1947.