Any future act of terrorism with links to Pakistan will be treated as an act of war, and India will respond accordingly, top Indian government sources told DD India on Saturday.
This warning marks a significant shift in India’s security doctrine amid continued Pakistani aggression. Over the last three nights, Pakistan has launched multiple drone and missile attacks on both military and civilian areas in northern India. However, nearly all of these threats have been neutralised by India’s robust air defence network, officials noted.
The warning comes in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistan-linked terrorists killed 26 tourists. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, executing precision cruise missile strikes on terror infrastructure located across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
The Indian counterstrikes prompted further escalation from Pakistan, with its military launching drone and artillery attacks on Indian civilian areas. Intelligence inputs have confirmed that the Pakistani Army has been actively shielding terror infrastructure, particularly those linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in areas adjacent to military cantonments in Pakistan and PoJK.
According to NDTV, elements within the Pakistani Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are providing logistical support, training, safe havens, and financial backing to terror operatives. Terrorists have been seen using Pakistan Army infrastructure, including restricted areas, as cover for movement and storage, effectively amounting to state-backed terrorism, NDTV reported.
Under the newly defined rules of engagement, any future terror act involving bombings, drone strikes, cyberattacks, biological or chemical attacks, hijackings, or attacks on critical government or military infrastructure will be deemed a declaration of war. The move aims to send a clear message not only to Pakistan but also to the international community about India’s zero-tolerance policy toward state-sponsored terrorism.
India has also ramped up efforts to expose Pakistan’s duplicity on the international stage—highlighting the contrast between the country’s global posturing and its covert support for violent non-State actors, according to NDTV.
