A stunning new account has revealed that in the tense days following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the Indian Navy was on the brink of launching a massive retaliatory strike against Pakistan. In a top-secret mission codenamed "Operation Sindoor," India's Western Fleet had stealthily positioned itself and had Pakistan's entire naval fleet in Karachi locked in its sights, awaiting the final order to attack.The explosive details come from the book "Breaking the Code," written by a former naval officer under the pseudonym "Aarav." The book reveals that as India grappled with the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks, the government authorized a powerful but clandestine military response.Under a cloak of secrecy, the Indian fleet, led by the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, sailed towards the Pakistani coast. The mission was so covert that even some senior commanders were not aware of its ultimate objective: to place Pakistan's Western Fleet, then docked in Karachi harbor, in a "kill box."According to the author, the Indian warships achieved complete tactical surprise and were in a "weapons-free" state. This means they had received all necessary clearances to launch their missiles and were merely awaiting the one last command to fire—an attack that could have crippled Pakistan's naval power in a single, devastating blow.The operation's name, "Sindoor" (vermilion), was deeply symbolic. It represented a solemn promise to avenge the "widows" created by the terrorist attack on Mumbai, a vow to deliver retribution for the lives lost.However, at the last moment, the attack was called off. The Indian government reportedly made the strategic decision to pull back and pursue a diplomatic path rather than escalate the situation into a full-blown military conflict.The book asserts that the Pakistani Navy was completely unaware of the imminent danger, highlighting the Indian Navy's superior operational readiness and stealth capabilities at that critical juncture. The revelation provides a dramatic, behind-the-scenes look at how close the two nuclear-armed neighbors came to war.
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