Army Chief Gen Dwivedi on Operation Sindoor: 'War with Pakistan didn't end on May 10, it continued...'
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said that Operation Sindoor did not end with the May 10 ceasefire and that infiltration attempts from Pakistan remain a challenge. He explained that the Indian Army adopted a calibrated response after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Friday said that the conflict with Pakistan triggered by Operation Sindoor did not conclude with the May 10 ceasefire. Speaking at the launch of the book Operation Sindoor: Before and Beyond in New Delhi, he pointed out that several key decisions and actions continued even after the declared halt in hostilities. "You may be thinking that on May 10, the war finished. No. It continued for a long time, as so many decisions had to be taken. Beyond that, of course, it will be difficult for me to share here," General Dwivedi remarked.
Pakistan-backed terror still active
The Army Chief underlined that it was too early to fully assess the impact of Operation Sindoor along the Line of Control, stressing that Pakistan-backed terrorism had not ended and infiltration attempts continue along the border. He said defence officials kept deliberating on what constituted a calibrated response, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack. "It is too early to comment on the effect of Operation Sindoor on the LOC situation as it has not been that long since it ended. Has state-sponsored terrorism ended? I don't think so, because infiltration attempts are still happening on the LOC. And we all know how many terrorists have been killed and how many of them have escaped,” General Dwivedi said.
Defining calibrated response
General Dwivedi explained that the Army engaged in continuous discussions about when to start, when to stop, and how to balance time, space, and resources in its response. "There were no precedents this time... I also spoke to many veterans on 22nd and 23rd April... They presented several brilliant options...Every action and every deliberate non-action carried long-term implications," he added.
Army's cohesion praised
Praising the coordination of the armed forces, General Dwivedi said the Army moved like a "rhythmic wave" during the operation. "In these 88 hours, you did not have the time to plan and then issue orders... Everybody was already synergised and knew what needed to be done," he added.
Operation Sindoor
It is to be noted here that Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Following this, India carried out targeted strikes on terror infrastructure and Pakistani airbases, while Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile attacks, which were neutralised by Indian armed forces. The period also witnessed intense cross-border shelling.