‘Tri-services action destroyed terror infrastructure across border’

New Delhi, May 7: Senior military officials on Thursday said ‘Operation Sindoor’ marked a decisive shift in India’s counter-terror doctrine, asserting that the tri-services action not only destroyed terror infrastructure across the border but also neutralised Pakistan’s nuclear brinkmanship and exposed its military vulnerabilities.
Marking the first anniversary of the operation, top commanders from the Indian Navy, Army and Air Force, detailed the scale, coordination and outcomes of the strikes carried out in response to the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians. mostly tourists dead.
The briefing was attended by Director General Naval Operations Vice Admiral AN Pramod, former Director General Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, and Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti.
Vice Admiral AN Pramod said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s capability to conduct deep precision strikes inside Pakistan and effectively challenged what he described as “nuclear blackmail”.
“By striking terror hubs in the heart of Pakistan using long-range precision weapons, India effectively called the bluff on Pakistan’s nuclear threats,” he said.
He added that the operation reflected clear strategic direction from the national leadership, coupled with operational freedom to the armed forces.
Pramod said personnel from the Navy participated alongside the Army and Air Force in the strikes carried out on the night of May 6–7, 2025, highlighting the level of jointness achieved during the mission.
He also noted that forward deployment of Indian naval assets forced Pakistani naval and air units into a defensive posture near their coastline and harbours, limiting their operational movement during the conflict.
Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said the operation was executed with “complete clarity of objectives” and full operational freedom granted to the forces.
He said Indian strikes targeted terror infrastructure across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and deep inside Pakistan.
“When the first weapon hit its target on May 7, 2025, it represented the resolve of the Indian people and partial justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack,” he said.
Bharti added that the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy operated in seamless coordination under a unified command structure.
He said Indian forces struck 11 Pakistani airfields and destroyed 13 aircraft, including a high-value airborne asset at long range.
“They have not been able to inflict any major damage on our side. Victory is measured by hard facts, not narratives,” he said.
Bharti further said Pakistan’s retaliatory drone and UAV attacks were effectively neutralised by India’s layered air defence systems, including indigenous platforms deployed across multiple sectors.
Former DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said Operation Sindoor achieved its objectives within a calibrated framework, after which Pakistan sought cessation of hostilities.
He said intelligence inputs and award records indicated significant losses on the Pakistani side, including more than 100 terrorists neutralised across nine camps.
“Pakistan suffered more than 100 casualties in exchanges along the Line of Control and in targeted strikes on terror camps,” he said.
Ghai also remarked that Pakistan should focus on strengthening combat capability rather than narrative building.
“If they invested as much in warfighting as they do in narratives, they would have fared better,” he said.
Highlighting India’s defence preparedness, Ghai said Operation Sindoor demonstrated the effectiveness of indigenous systems, including missiles, surveillance platforms and electronic warfare equipment.
He said over 65 per cent of the equipment used in the operation was domestically manufactured, describing it as a “force multiplier” for the armed forces.
He added that coordinated action across intelligence agencies, cyber units and border forces ensured precision targeting and minimal collateral damage.
Officials said the operation involved integrated planning across land, air, sea, cyber and electronic warfare domains, making it one of the most coordinated military responses in recent years.
The Navy maintained maritime dominance, the Air Force executed precision strikes and air defence operations, while the Army managed ground-based counter-response and border security.
According to the officials, India’s response included nine major standoff strikes—seven by the Army and two by the Air Force—targeting terror hubs across Pakistan and PoJK.
Launched on May 7, 2025, Operation Sindoor was initiated after the Pahalgam terror attack. Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen, killing over 100 terrorists.
The confrontation continued for four days before both sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, 2025, following military-level communication between the two countries.
Officials said the operation has since been recognised as a benchmark in joint military planning and precision counter-terror action. (KNO)