Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, Commander of the Indian Army's Western Command, issued a stern warning on Tuesday that any future terrorist attacks by Pakistan akin to the deadly Pahalgam assault earlier this year would provoke a more devastating retaliation under "Operation Sindoor 2.0". Speaking at an ex-servicemen rally commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Indo-Pak War, Katiyar asserted that Pakistan lacks the capacity for direct confrontation but persists in its strategy of "bleeding India through a thousand cuts" via proxy terrorism. "The action we will take this time will be deadlier than in the past. It will be more powerful," he declared, emphasising the armed forces' full preparedness to counter such threats.

The remarks come nearly five months after the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, where militants from The Resistance Front (TRF)—an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—ambushed a group of tourists in the scenic Baisaran meadows, killing 26 civilians, mostly non-Muslims, in a targeted massacre. The assault, the deadliest on tourists in Kashmir since 2000, shattered the region's fragile peace and tourism recovery post-Article 370 abrogation. India attributed the attack to Pakistan-sponsored groups, prompting a swift escalation: border closures, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and a ban on Pakistani airlines over Indian airspace. Global condemnation followed, with the UN Security Council and the Financial Action Task Force highlighting terror financing links, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Singapore's foreign ministry expressed solidarity with India.

In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, a tri-service precision strike involving missiles, airstrikes, and loitering munitions that targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites across Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province, including LeT's Markaz Taiba in Muridke and JeM's headquarters in Bahawalpur. The 25-minute operation, the most significant cross-border action since the 1971 war, reportedly neutralised 80-100 militants and inflicted substantial damage on terror camps, as verified by satellite imagery from firms like Maxar and KAWASPACE. Pakistan reported 26-31 casualties and accused India of an "act of war", leading to four days of intense cross-border shelling that killed eight Indians before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Katiyar praised the operation's success, crediting public support, veterans, and civil administration, and noted it exposed Pakistan's miscalculation of Indian resolve, much like in 1965 when 10,000 infiltrators were repelled with local backing.

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Katiyar's comments, delivered amid heightened vigilance along the Line of Control, underscore ongoing tensions that have spilt into cultural domains, such as the Asia Cup 2025 cricket final, where India's victory over Pakistan drew Prime Minister Narendra Modi's quip likening it to "Operation Sindoor on the games field." The rally, themed "Shaurya, Samarpan aur Samadhan" (Valour, Dedication, and Resolve), featured a 50-foot flag hoisting at Balidan Stambh, wreath-laying, and interactions with over 3,000 veterans, Veer Naris, and youth groups. Attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the event reaffirmed the army's commitment to veterans' welfare while reinforcing India's deterrence posture. As Pakistan's military leadership remains defiant, Katiyar urged sustained patriotism, warning that without a shift in Islamabad's mindset, vigilance must remain unyielding to safeguard national security.

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