In a powerful joint briefing by the Indian Armed Forces on Operation Sindoor, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), strongly condemned Pakistan’s role in recent terror attacks. He highlighted the shift in the nature of terrorism over the years, stating that Pakistan had not only been targeting Indian military installations but had also increasingly begun attacking civilians. Referring to the brutal Pahalgam attack on April 22, which killed 26 people including one Nepali citizen, Lt Gen Ghai remarked, “Pahalgam tak paap ka ye ghada bhar chuka tha”—a Hindi expression meaning the threshold of tolerance had been crossed.
The April 22 attack became a turning point, prompting India to launch a series of precision strikes on May 7 under the codename Operation Sindoor. These strikes targeted terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Lt Gen Ghai clarified that the Indian Armed Forces deliberately refrained from crossing the Line of Control (LoC) or the International Border (IB), anticipating that Pakistan would adopt a similar approach.
He also emphasized that India’s countermeasures were strategically aligned, stating, “Countermanned aerial systems, electronic warfare mechanisms, and air defence (AD) battle systems were all put in sync.” This coordinated military preparedness ensured a robust and disciplined response to any retaliatory actions.
Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations (DGAO), echoed this sentiment, stressing that India’s strikes were aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure, not at the Pakistani military. He expressed disappointment that the Pakistan Army chose to intervene on behalf of terrorists, turning a targeted anti-terror operation into a military confrontation. “Our fight was against terrorism and terrorists… It’s unfortunate that the Pakistan military supported them and made it their fight,” he said.
A significant highlight of the briefing was the praise for India’s indigenous Akash air defence system, which played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor. Air Marshal Bharti credited the government’s consistent budgetary and policy support over the past decade for enabling the effective deployment of such advanced systems.
To conclude the briefing, video footage was presented showing the debris of Chinese-origin YIHA drones and Turkish-made Songar drones that had been neutralized by Indian forces. These visuals underscored the precision and effectiveness of India’s military operations in countering aerial threats.
