New Delhi: The military conflict with Pakistan did not end with cessation of firing on May 10, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has said.
During his address at the at the book launch of ‘Operation Sindoor: Before and Beyond’, the general said that the “war” against Pakistan continued even after after the cessation of hostilities, as there were decisions to be made.
He commended the Army for its calibrated response during Operation Sindoor after Pakistan targeted Indian Army bases with missiles and drones.
“You may be thinking the war finished on May 10. No. It continued for a long time because so many decisions had to be made. It will be difficult for me to share beyond that,” General Dwivedi said.
According to him, defence officials discussed the definition of a calibrated response. He said that he also spoke with the veterans, who presented several options for responding to the Pahalgam terror attack.
“So, when to start, when to stop, how much to apply in terms of time, space, and resources, and what is the definition of calibrated, all these things are something which we kept on discussing at every point in time. Because this time, there were no precedents. Though I spoke to many veterans on 22nd and 23rd April… Many of them presented so many brilliant options… Every action, every deliberate non-action, had long-term implications,” he said.
Operation Sindoor moved like a “rhythmic wave”, the CoAS said.
“The Indian Army during this complete thing moved like a rhythmic wave… In these 88 hours, you did not have the time to come for the planning, then pass the orders. Everybody was synergised and knew their orders,” he said.
India had executed a calibrated response against terror targets during Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.
Pakistan responded by launching drone and missile strikes on targets in India, most of which were thwarted by the security forces. India hit Pakistani airbases and radar systems in response, and severe cross-border shelling was seen.
India agreed to a cessation of firing after the Pakistan DGMO made an appeal on May 10, following high-precision missile strikes on several Pakistan Air Force bases.