Our 22-Minute Strike Shook Pakistan's Decision-Making, Says Gen Dwivedi

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday said that there were two turning points during Operation Sindoor, one of them being the very 22-minute strike on terror targets due to which the decision-making of Pakistan was disrupted.

Speaking at the annual press conference of the Indian Army here, Gen Dwivedi said, "The first was the 22-minute strike on terrorist targets, which derailed the opposite side's decision-making, and they took time to take that all in. Due to this, there was confusion among them, and that led to mismanaged responses, which were met with our calibrated response."

"The second turning point was that on the morning of May 10, the tri-forces were given certain directions about what to do if this war had escalated. They had understood it, and hence, they called our DGMO. They (Pakistan) had complete information about which ship, which strike or pivot, which core unit, or which aircraft was moving where, all from satellites. When they connected these dots, they said that the time has come to stop this war here," he added.

In response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting several high-value terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), killing over 100 terrorists. Pakistan, in turn, launched drone and missile attacks, which were successfully intercepted by the Indian Armed Forces. In retaliation, India destroyed several airfields in Pakistan.

Following a request from Pakistan on May 10, the military action was halted by the Indian Armed Forces.

Gen Dwivedi said that Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's readiness, precision and strategic clarity.

He mentioned that India's resolute response to the Pahalgam terror attack served as an example of the current reality of the world that "nations that stay prepared, prevail".

"The past year saw a sharp rise in the number of armed conflicts worldwide. These global shifts underline a simple reality -- nations that stay prepared prevail. In this backdrop, Operation Sindoor, India's calibrated, resolute response to cross-border terrorism, demonstrated our readiness, precision and strategic clarity," he said.

Gen Dwivedi, speaking about the Western Front, recalled India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, saying that a "clear decision to respond decisively was taken at the highest level".

"Operation Sindoor was conceptualised and executed with precision. Through 22 minutes of initiation on May 7 and an orchestration that lasted 88 hours up to May 10, the operation reset strategic assumptions by striking deep, dismantling terror infrastructure, and puncturing the longstanding nuclear rhetoric," he said

"The Army successfully destroyed seven out of the nine targets and thereafter played a pivotal role in ensuring a calibrated response to Pak actions," he added.

The Army chief reiterated that "Operation Sindoor remains ongoing, and a future misadventure will be resolutely responded to".

He also acknowledged the "proactive role" of all stakeholders at the national level, including CAPFs, Intelligences, civic bodies, state administration and other ministries, whether it's MHA, MEITY, Railways, etc.

"Operation Sindoor was the best example of tri-services synergy under clear-cut political directive and full freedom to act or respond," he added.

MENAFN13012026000231011071ID1110591168