India-Pakistan: A Four-Day War and a New Military Doctrine

The crisis began on April 22, 2025, when a terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam killed at least 26 tourists in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility . India accused Pakistan of sponsoring the militants, leading to a rapid diplomatic rupture. India expelled Pakistani diplomats, cut off visa services, and took the dramatic step of suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty .

A Conflict of Missiles and Drones

On the night of May 7, India launched "Operation Sindoor," a series of missile strikes on what it described as "terrorist infrastructure" of groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba inside Pakistan . Pakistan denied hosting militant camps and stated the Indian strikes hit civilian areas, including mosques, causing civilian casualties .

The ensuing conflict was characterized by a heavy reliance on advanced technology. Both sides engaged primarily with missiles and drones, with no evidence of manned aircraft crossing into each other's airspace or foot soldiers penetrating territory . India reportedly used Israeli-made and indigenous drones, while Pakistan deployed models from China and Turkey . This was a war fought from a distance, yet it reached deep into each country's heartland. India struck areas in Pakistani Punjab and near Karachi, while Pakistan targeted locations from Leh to Sir Creek .

A New Indian Doctrine and Global Reaction

Following the ceasefire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new Indian military doctrine, signaling a more aggressive stance . According to analysts, the doctrine asserts that India will respond to terrorism on its own terms regarding the means and location of strikes, and will no longer be deterred by "nuclear blackmail" .

The international response was concerned but mixed. China called for restraint, while the UK offered to help de-escalate . The U.S. management of the crisis appeared to vacillate, with President Trump later proposing mediation—a move that reportedly exasperated Indian officials by effectively re-hyphenating the U.S. relationship with India and Pakistan .

The Information Battlefield

Beyond the physical conflict, a parallel "war of narratives" raged online. A former Indian military official noted, "Only about 30% of a war is actually fought on the battlefield. The rest is all optics" . This information war was complicated by AI-generated deepfakes, including fabricated videos of Indian leaders and fake audio of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif . The proliferation of conflicting information made it difficult for the public and analysts alike to discern reality, complicating the traditional government monopoly on crisis narrative .