As India marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the gruesome terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, armed forces said on Thursday that the military's actions demonstrated the country's deep strike capability, vowing to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the nation.
In a joint press conference by the Army, the Air Force and the Navy in Rajasthan's Jaipur, the armed forces also reiterated that they were given a free hand by the government, adding that the entire operation was conducted in a planned way, with "precision, proportionality and a clarity of purpose".
"The government gave us two clear directions, clear political-military objectives and the operational flexibility to achieve these. The clearly stated end to destroy and degrade terror ecosystems, disrupt their planning and deter future aggression from these bases was very unambiguously spelt out," Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said.
"Sirf hungama khada karna mera maqsad nahi. Meri koshish hai ki yeh soorat badalni chahiye. Operation Sindoor was not an end. It was just the beginning. India's fight against terror will go on. A year on, we remember not just the operation but also the principle behind it. India will defend its sovereignty, its security, and its people decisively, professionally and with the utmost responsibility," he added.
IAF's Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, who was also present at the presser, said India's objectives were to destroy terror launchpads and demonstrate that no terror sanctuary is safe in Pakistan, countering questions on why Operation Sindoor was stopped. He reiterated that Operation Sindoor has not ended, but has only been paused.
"Our fight was with the terrorists and their support infrastructure. And that is what we hit, ensuring no collateral damage. We had achieved our objectives, and our mission was complete. But when the Pakistani establishment decided to side with terror and make it their own fight, we had no choice but to respond in kind. It was about self-defence, much beyond a counter-terror operation," Bharti said.
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral AN Pramod explained the Navy's role in Operation Sindoor and said it had compelled the Pakistani not to come out from their harbour. The Navy had placed warships and submarines near Pakistan, demonstrating the deep strike capability, he said.
Homegrown platforms and weapons such as BrahMos and Akash played a decisive role in Operation Sindoor, the military officials said at the media briefing, who added that Mission Sudarshan Chakra is being prepared to safeguard India's assets.
They said the armed forces were able to destroy 11 airfields and nine terror camps in Pakistan, while the enemy failed to inflict any damages to India's military assets. "In an era of prolonged conflicts around the world, we struck hard, achieved clearly defined objectives and then decided to cease hostilities when the Pakistanis were compelled to negotiate and requested us to stop," Ghai said.
