India to Treat Future Terror Attacks as Acts of War, Say Govt Sources
India will treat any future terror attacks as acts of war and respond with full military force, top government sources said amid rising tensions with Pakistan.
India has hardened its stance following the April 22 terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, including tourists. In a decisive shift, sources said, the government has resolved to treat all future terror incidents on Indian soil as direct acts of war.
This development comes in the wake of India’s precision strikes on May 7 targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. The strikes followed retaliatory Pakistani attacks that caused limited damage to four Indian Air Force (IAF) bases in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj.
In a swift response, Indian Armed Forces targeted six key Pakistani military facilities—Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunia.
“These strikes were carried out with surgical precision, focusing solely on military targets to minimise civilian casualties,” said a senior defence official familiar with the operation.
The operation marked one of India’s most expansive counter-offensives in recent years.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level security meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and the service chiefs. A video of the meeting was shared by government sources, underlining the seriousness of the situation.
“The government is sending a clear message that India will not tolerate cross-border terrorism. Any future act of terror will be treated as an act of war,” said a senior official present at the meeting.
In international law, an “act of war” refers to armed aggression by one state against another, potentially justifying full-scale military retaliation. While the United Nations Charter prohibits the use of force except in self-defence, the term is often invoked to legitimise military action under Article 51.
Experts say India invoking the term marks a significant policy shift from strategic restraint to deterrence through force.
The April 22 suicide bombing in Pahalgam was among the deadliest in recent years, with attackers reportedly linked to Pakistan-based terror groups. It was the immediate trigger for India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7.
The Indian government has since ramped up military preparedness along the western front and issued a high alert across border states.
