Sends stern warning to Pakistan on Operation Sindoor anniversary
Jaipur: No terror sanctuary across the line of control is safe, and India will target every terrorist infrastructure at a time and manner of its choosing, the Indian military said on Thursday, sending a clear warning to Pakistan on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
Detailing what is now considered India’s most significant combat mission in five decades, the then heads of military operations for the three services elaborated on the strategic successes of the massive tri-services campaign during a media briefing here.
They asserted that the window for military action against cross-border terrorism remains firmly open.
“No sanctuary across the line of control is safe. We will hit everything. We will go after everything and that has been made clear in the new normal that the Prime Minister said last year. But the conditions, the timing and the method will be ours,” said Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (strategy).
The timing and method for targeting terror infrastructure will remain at the Indian military’s discretion, he said.
In his capacity as the Director General of Military Operations of the Indian Army, Ghai had played a key role along with his counterparts from the Indian Air Force and Navy in execution of Operation Sindoor.
“Operation Sindoor was not an end and it was just the beginning,” Lt Gen Ghai said.
In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year carrying out airstrikes on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir eliminating at least 100 terrorists.
The strikes triggered a rapid escalation in tensions with Pakistan launching retaliatory strikes though most of them were thwarted by the Indian military. The hostilities ended with an understanding on halting military actions on May 10 following talks over the hotline between army officials of the two sides.
In his remarks, Air Marshal AK Bharti, who too play a crucial role as Director General of Air Operations in conducting Operation Sindoor, highlighted the “primacy of air power” in achieving desired results.
He said India’s military might is being strengthened significantly and that the India Air Force has been constantly monitoring the activities of China and Pakistan.
“We are continuously factoring in whatever they are (up to),” he said.
“We struck and decimated their nine terrorist camps. The proof is there for everybody to see. We struck 11 of their airfields. We destroyed 13 of their aircraft either on the ground or in the air, including one high-value airborne asset at a record distance of more than 300 kilometres,” he said.
Director General of Naval Operations Vice Admiral AN Pramod said the operation underscored the strategic vision of India’s approach in combating terrorism.
He said the forward deployment of the Indian Navy assets compelled Pakistani naval and air units to enter in a defensive posture and it largely confined the Pakistani Navy to harbours.
“Operation Sindoor validated India’s ability to respond to asymmetric provocation with deliberate, precise and proportionate force. It demonstrated that terror infrastructure and supporting military enablers can be targeted swiftly and effectively,” he said.
“The operation also highlighted the decisive role of indigenous cutting-edge technologies, platforms, systems and equipment, including drones,” he noted.
