Now that the firing has ceased across the Line of Control, and the Chinese-made missiles and Turkish drones have stopped whining across the international border, it may be the right moment to review the litany of Pakistani-directed terrorist attacks on India this century following the Kargil conflict (from May-July 1999 into 2000), and our response.

A partial list of just the most significant episodes of terror attacks makes for painful reading:

  • 2000 Chattisinghpora massacre: on March 20, 2000, in the village of Chattisinghpora, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, 15-17 LeT gunmen entered the village and ordered all Sikh men and boys to assemble at the village gurdwara. They then systematically shot and killed 35 of them. The massacre occurred on the eve of U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit to India, and was clearly meant to send a signal.

  • 2001 Indian Parliament Attack: On December 13, 2001, militants from JeM and LeT attacked the Indian Parliament, resulting in the deaths of 14 people.

  • 2002 Kaluchak massacre: on May 14, 2002, near Kaluchak in Jammu and Kashmir, three LeT militants dressed in combat uniforms attacked a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus traveling from Manali to Jammu, killing seven passengers. They then entered the family quarters of an Indian Army camp and fired indiscriminately, killing 23 people, including 10 children, eight women, and five Army personnel. The attack resulted in total in 31 deaths and 47 injuries.

  • 2002 Akshardham Temple Attack: On September 24, 2002, LeT attacked a Hindu temple in Gujarat, resulting in over 30 deaths.

  • 2005 Delhi Bombings: On October 29, 2005, LeT and associated groups exploded multiple bomb blasts across Delhi, killing over 60 people.

  • 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings: On July 11, 2006, LeT terrorists set off several bombs on local trains, killing over 200 people.

  • 2008 Ahmedabad bombings: On July 26, 2008, the city was struck by 21 coordinated bomb blasts within a span of 70 minutes,targeting crowded public spaces, including markets, hospitals, and public transportation hubs, during the evening rush hour. 56 people were killed and over 200 others injured.

  • 2008 Jaipur Bombings: On May 13, 2008, nine  synchronized bomb blasts in the Walled City targeted crowded locations such as Johari Bazaar and Tripolia Bazaar. The bombs, placed on bicycles, detonated within a span of 15 minutes, killing 80 people and injuring over 170 others. Two weeks later, on September 27, 2008, another bombing occurred in Mehrauli, killing three people and injuring 23 others

  • 2008 Delhi bombings: On September 13, 2008, five synchronized explosions across busy areas, including Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, and Greater Kailash, killed 20–30 people and injured over 90 others

  • 2008 Mumbai Attacks (26/11): On November 26, 2008, ten members of LeT carried out coordinated shootings and bombings across Mumbai, killing 175 people and injuring over 300. The attack lasted till Nov 29, when the perpetrators were all killed and one, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive. The attackers were proven to be trained and directed by Pakistani military and intelligence agencies.

  • 2010 German Bakery bombing: An LeT terrorist attack on the popular German Bakery in Koregaon Park, Pune, on February 13, 2010, killed 17 people and injured over 60 others. An LeT offshoot calling itself the “Indian Mujahideen” claimed responsibility, even though it was widely assumed to be a front for Pakistan.

  • 2016 Pathankot Airbase Attack: On January 2-5, 2016, militants from JeM attacked the Pathankot Airbase in Punjab, leading to the deaths of seven Indian security personnel.

  • 2016 Uri attack: on September 18, 2016, near the town of Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, four JeM terrorists attacked an Indian Army brigade headquarters. The attackers lobbed 17 grenades in three minutes, causing significant damage. The attack resulted in the deaths of 19 Indian soldiers and injuries to up to 30 others. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in Kashmir in two decades – until:

  • 2019 Pulwama Attack: On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber from JeM targeted a convoy of Indian paramilitary personnel in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 40 jawans.

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India's strategy to respond effectively to such cross-border terrorism has gradually evolved. In 2001, in response to the Indian Parliament attack, India mobilized its military forces along the border with Pakistan in a standoff known as Operation Parakram. Although it did not lead to direct military action, it was a significant show of force. Subsequent attacks did not elicit a further military response. In 2008, after 26/11, India once again focused on diplomatic efforts to isolate Pakistan internationally, proscribe the terrorist organisations at the United Nations Sanctions Committee, “grey-list” Pakistan as a backer of terrorism at the Financial Action Task Force, and strengthen increased counter-terrorism measures within the country.

The 2016 Pathankot attack came within a week of Prime Minister Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore to attend Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif’s birthday celebrations and his granddaughter’s wedding. So disbelieving was New Delhi that Pakistan could have reciprocated its friendship in such a manner that the government even invited Pakistan to be associated with the inquiry into the attack. The Pakistani “experts” who came to India went back and claimed that “the Indians had done it to themselves”.

That was the last straw.

Hardened by betrayal, India turned its face against any further accommodation with the killer-despatchers across the border. Its responses became tougher: After Pathankot, India conducted a series of counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and increased security measures at key installations. Then, one by one, it crossed the red lines it had hitherto observed.

During Kargil, India had lost lives by repelling the invaders without crossing the Line of Control (LoC), so sacrosanct was that line supposed to be. After Uri, India carried out surgical strikes across the LoC on September 29, 2016, targeting militant launch pads in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The first red line was crossed.

Then, after Pulwama, India crossed a second red line. It transgressed not just the Line of Control (LoC) but the international border. India conducted an airstrike on February 26, 2019, targeting a JeM training camp in Balakot, Pakistan -- the first time Indian warplanes penetrated Pakistani airspace since the 1971 war.

Now, after Pahalgam, it has gone still farther. It has crossed the Line of Control, transgressed the international border and struck Pakistan deep in its Punjabi heartland, hitting terrorist headquarters in places like Muridke (the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s notorious headquarters) and Bahawalpur (the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s).

The message is clear: no place is safe any more for the terrorists to seek shelter. If you harm us, we will hit you, wherever you are.

This is a resolute India, standing united against terror. There are no red lines any more.