On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, India’s senior military leadership revealed unprecedented details of the tri-services campaign that followed the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025.
At a joint press briefing in Jaipur, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti stated that Indian forces had struck 11 Pakistani airfields and destroyed 13 aircraft, including a high-value airborne asset at a record distance of more than 300 kilometres.
He emphasised that Pakistan had failed to inflict any significant damage on Indian military or civilian infrastructure, noting that victory is measured by hard facts rather than rhetoric. He declined to disclose Indian losses but underlined that the adversary’s attempts had been largely ineffective.
Air Marshal Bharti explained that nine terrorist camps were decimated during the operation, with proof available for all to see. He reiterated that Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes had not caused major damage, and India’s calibrated response demonstrated both precision and restraint. His remarks highlighted the scale and sophistication of the campaign, which the Indian military described as its most significant combat mission in five decades.
Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, now serving as Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), declared that Operation Sindoor had reset India’s threshold for cross-border military action. He stressed that no sanctuary across the Line of Control was safe, and India would strike at will, with conditions, timing and methods determined by its own leadership.
He observed that several terror camps had since been shifted deeper into Pakistani territory, but distance offered no protection against India’s precision capabilities. He added that India had chosen to end hostilities after achieving clearly defined objectives, compelling Pakistan to negotiate and request cessation of strikes.
This decision, he said, reflected India’s ability to strike hard and then disengage once its aims were met, contrasting with prolonged conflicts elsewhere in the world.
Vice Admiral AN Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations, explained that the forward deployment of Indian Navy assets had forced Pakistani naval and air units into a defensive posture, largely confining the Pakistani Navy to its harbours.
He remarked that Operation Sindoor validated India’s ability to respond to asymmetric provocation with deliberate, precise and proportionate force. The naval dimension underscored the tri-services coordination that characterised the campaign, ensuring Pakistan faced pressure across multiple domains.
Operation Sindoor was launched on 7 May 2025, with Indian forces carrying out airstrikes on nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, eliminating at least 100 terrorists. Pakistan responded with retaliatory strikes, most of which were intercepted.
Hostilities ended on 10 May following hotline talks between army officials of both sides, after India had achieved its objectives and Pakistan sought negotiations. The operation demonstrated India’s capacity to conduct deep, coordinated strikes across air, land and sea, while maintaining control over escalation and disengagement.
The anniversary briefing offered the most detailed official account yet of Operation Sindoor, underscoring its significance as a watershed in India’s military doctrine. It reset the parameters of cross-border action, conveyed a clear message that terror sanctuaries would not be tolerated, and showcased India’s ability to combine precision, proportion and strategic restraint.
The campaign marked a decisive moment in India’s modern military history, reinforcing its resolve against terrorism and its capacity to impose costs on adversaries while safeguarding national interests.
Agencies
