It is no longer a secret that India’s four-day military action against terror bases in Pakistan and PoK was a massive success for the country as the armed forces destroyed several bases along with several Pakistan aircraft. And now, India has issued a blunt and strategically loaded message to Islamabad.
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command, Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, has declared that India will no longer be restrained by what he termed Pakistan’s “nuclear bluff,” warning that any future provocation will invite a response far stronger than before.
Speaking from Pathankot, at a specialised investiture ceremony honouring units involved in Operation Sindoor, Lt Gen Katiyar signalled a clear doctrinal shift, from calibrated retaliation to what he described as achieving “decisive victory on the ground.”
Operation Sindoor: From retaliation to decisive victory
Referring to May 2025’s Operation Sindoor, launched after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, the Western Command chief outlined how India escalated beyond counter-terror strikes. “In Operation Sindoor, we attacked all their terrorist bases. After that, they retaliated, and in response, we destroyed their military bases and air bases,” he said.
According to Lt Gen Katiyar, Pakistan subsequently sought a ceasefire, not only directly with India but also through other countries. The message was clear – escalation dominance now lies with India.
He stressed that the operational demonstration was not merely a celebration of past success but a signal of preparedness. “The danger is not yet averted,” he warned, adding that the next response would be “even harder than before.”
Calling out Pakistan’s ‘nuclear bluff’
One of the sharpest elements of his address was the dismissal of Pakistan’s repeated references to nuclear escalation. “He wants to prevent us from taking any strong action… It’s a kind of bluff he’s doing, which we have to call out. We will not be deterred by his nuclear bluff,” Lt Gen Katiyar said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan’s leadership.
The statement marks a significant rhetorical hardening. For years, Islamabad’s nuclear signalling has been viewed as a deterrent shield against large-scale conventional retaliation. The Western Command chief’s remarks suggest India is recalibrating its threshold calculations.
He underlined that if there arises a need for Operation Sindoor 2.0, India’s military response will be harsher and stronger than what was witnessed last time. “They cannot fight us… The response will be stronger than what we have done in Operation Sindoor,” he added. “To what level we will go will depend on the situation prevailing on that particular day or time,” Katiyar stated.
Why the Operation Sindoor 2.0 warning now?
The backdrop to the warning is the chain of events following the Pahalgam terror attack. India responded with precision strikes on nine major terror launchpads across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile attacks on Indian cities over three consecutive nights in May 2025, broadening the scope of confrontation.
Lt Gen Katiyar’s remarks indicate that any repetition of such escalatory cycles will trigger a far more expansive Indian response, potentially beyond terror camps and tactical air assets. “This time it will not be limited to destroying terrorist bases or airbases,” he said, adding that the outcome would compel Pakistan to “accept defeat before the world.”
Beyond deterrence messaging, the Western Command chief highlighted operational readiness. He underlined 100% equipment preparedness, integration of drones into frontline operations and growing technological self-reliance in indigenous systems. However, he stressed that despite technological advances, the Indian soldier remains the decisive factor on the battlefield.