It is unclear whether individual strikes against terrorists such as Operation Sindoor now and before that Balakot in 2019 will have a major deterrence impact on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, says Rajesh Rajagopalan, professor of international politics at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Instead, he argues that India should have directly targeted the source of terror: the Pakistani Army.

In addition, says Rajagopalan, long-term measures such as building dams and canals to prevent water from the Indus river system flow to Pakistan might work better.