Overview
- In April, a terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 led India to suspend trade and place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, setting the stage for cross‑border retaliation.
- From May 6–10, India executed Operation Sindoor against multiple terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir before a DGMO‑level understanding paused fire on May 10.
- Indian officials said the strikes followed intelligence of imminent attacks, while Indian claims of damage to Pakistani aircraft, including F‑16s, remain disputed in open reporting.
- By year’s end, New Delhi accelerated long‑range precision capabilities, highlighted by the December 29 Pinaka Long‑Range Guided Rocket test and the Army’s induction of Apache helicopters and expanded drone units.
- Regional instability persisted as October Pakistan–Afghanistan border fighting yielded a Qatar‑ and Turkey‑brokered ceasefire, and Nepal’s September youth‑led protests forced the Oli government’s collapse.