Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to avenge the Pahalgam massacre on 22nd April, in which 26 people lost their lives. Speaking for the first time after the carnage in Kashmir, he said that India will pursue the terrorists and their backers to the ends of the world. In the past, too, India has taken decisive actions to punish Pakistan. 

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From the battlefields of 1965 to the airstrikes of 2019. India has consistently met Pakistan’s nefarious designs with decisive military and strategic blows. Each provocation, whether overt war or covert terror from Pakistan, has been met with a calculated, escalating response, underscoring India’s resolve to defend its sovereignty.

Also read | Will India react immediately to Pahalgam terror attack? Here's how GOI responded to similar assaults in the past

1965: Operation Gibraltar's humiliating defeat

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Pakistan’s attempt to enter Kashmir through Operation Gibraltar, a covert infiltration of 30,000 soldiers disguised as locals, ended in disaster when India not only repelled the incursion but launched a full-scale counteroffensive. The Indian army’s capture of the Haji Pir pass, a critical infiltration route, crippled Pakistan’s strategy and forced a ceasefire.

1971 Bangladesh Liberation War

Pakistan’s brutal crackdown in East Pakistan in March 1971 led to an exodus of over 10 million refugees to India. After exploring diplomatic options, New Delhi hardened its stance after the Pakistan Air Force attacked India's eastern border. Indian military struck back decisively. Pakistan surrendered after 13 days of fighting, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

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Also read | 'It was his birthday today': Pahalgam attack victim Shailesh Kathaliya's body returns home on his birthday

1999 Kargil War: Pak's betrayal, India's decisive victory

While peace talks were underway, Pakistani soldiers and terrorists occupied strategic Indian peaks in Kargil. India, shocked but undeterred, launched Operation Vijay. A brutal, high-altitude battle to reclaim every inch. Over 500 Indian soldiers laid down their lives, with Pakistan reportedly losing around 4,000 soldiers. On the icy peaks, the Indian military successfully ejected Pakistani intruders from high-altitude positions.

2001: Parliament attack & Operation Parakram

After Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists stormed India’s parliament on December 13, 2001, India mobilised 500,000 troops along the border in Operation Parakram, the largest military buildup since 1971. While a full-scale war was averted due to international pressure, the mobilisation exposed Pakistan’s vulnerability and forced it to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed.

2016: Surgical Strike 1.0

Days after Pakistan-based terrorists killed 19 soldiers in Uri, India launched a cross-border surgical strike on September 29, 2016, destroying multiple terror launch pads. Indian commandos infiltrated 3 km into Pakistani territory, eliminating terrorists and marking India’s first public admission of such an operation. Pakistan denied the strikes but was left scrambling to explain bullet-riddled terror camps.

2019: Surgical Strike 2.0

Following the Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel, India retaliated with an audacious airstrike on Balakot, deep inside Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Twelve mirage 2000 jets struck Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest training facility, killing terrorists. Days later, India thwarted Pakistan’s retaliatory airstrike, downing an f-16. Pakistan captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. Pakistan was forced to return the pilot under intense pressure, facing humiliation.

India’s responses have evolved from conventional warfare to precision strikes, leveraging diplomatic isolation and military deterrence. Each action, whether the 1971 liberation of Bangladesh or the 2019 Balakot raid, has reinforced a clear message: terrorism will extract a heavy price.