Sajid Raina
Jammu, Oct 14: Warning Pakistan that ‘Operation Sindoor 2.0’ would be stronger than the first one, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command, Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, on Tuesday said that if the neighbouring country refuses to mends its ways it can pay a very heavy price this time around.
Lieutenant General Katiyar while talking to reporters here, said, “Operation Sindoor 2.0 would be stronger than the first phase.”
Pertinently, Operation Sindoor was launched after the April 22 Pahlagm terror attack that left 26 civilians, mostly tourists dead. The Indian armed forces attacked nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The skirmishes that followed continued for 4-days until Pakistan Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) reached out to his counterpart in India and requested for a ceasefire.
In a strongly worded message, Lt Gen Katiyar said, “If Pakistan repeats what it did, then what we do next will be more than the last time. Operation Sindoor 2.0 has to be more powerful.”
Lt Gen Katiyar said Pakistan follows a policy of causing harm through multiple smaller actions rather than open conflict. “It does not have the capacity to fight a war with us. It does not want to fight a war. Its actions are part of the policy of ‘bleed India through a thousand cuts’,” he said.
Asked if similar attacks like the one in Pahalgam could happen again, he said, “Until there is a change in Pakistan’s thinking, it will continue with these actions.”
Earlier during his address at an ex-servicemen rally held to mark 60 years since the 1965 India-Pakistan War ceasefire, Lt Gen Katiyar, said that public support played a key role during Operation Sindoor. “We acted after our people were killed. The response was carried out with the support of the administration, ex-servicemen, and local people.”
He said the army remains prepared to act again if needed. “Pakistan will try again. It has always tried to repeat Pahalgam-type attacks. The army is ready to respond. The action this time will be more than last time.”
Referring to the 1965 war, Lt Gen Katiyar said that Pakistan had miscalculated the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “They sent around 10,000 Razakars trained by their army. But they failed to understand the people here. The public supported the army. We were able to drive them back.”
He said that the same level of support will be required if another response becomes necessary.
Lieutenant General Manoj Katiyar hailed Operation Sindoor, saying the Indian Army gave a befitting reply to Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. “Terrorists killed our innocent people. Our befitting reply to Pakistan taught them a lesson.”
He assured the public of the Indian Army’s readiness to thwart future attacks by the neighbouring country.
