Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, on Tuesday, made it clear that Operation Sindoor is far from over, issuing a blunt warning to Pakistan that any “future misadventure” will invite a swift and decisive response from India.
Addressing reporters at his first press conference of 2026, General Dwivedi said the Indian Army had carried out extensive troop mobilisation during Operation Sindoor and remained fully prepared to launch ground operations had Pakistan escalated further. “If Pakistan had made even a small mistake, we were ready,” he said, underlining that India deliberately expanded the conventional military space during the operation.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed several civilians. The attack was carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. In response, Indian forces struck multiple terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists.
Pakistan retaliated with missile and drone attacks, all of which were intercepted by India’s air defence systems. India then carried out precision strikes on Pakistani airfields, decisively raising the costs of escalation. A ceasefire was subsequently announced on May 10.
Describing Operation Sindoor as a template for modern warfare, General Dwivedi said it stood as the clearest example of tri-service synergy executed under an unambiguous political mandate and complete operational freedom.
“The operation was conceived and executed with precision,” he said, noting that the initial 22 minutes of action on May 7 and the 88-hour military orchestration that followed reset long-standing strategic assumptions, dismantled terror infrastructure, and punctured Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail narrative.
He added that the Indian Army’s posture during those 88 hours ensured that escalation dominance firmly rested with India. “The manner in which we mobilised and responded ensured that any further Pakistani provocation would have been met with ground operations,” he said.
Providing an update on the security situation, General Dwivedi said that while the western front and Jammu and Kashmir remain sensitive, they are firmly under control. In 2025 alone, security forces neutralised 31 terrorists, 65 per cent of whom were Pakistani nationals. This included the three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack, who were eliminated during Operation Mahadev.
He noted that the number of active local terrorists has now fallen to single digits and recruitment has nearly dried up, with only two cases reported last year. “These are clear indicators of positive change,” the Army Chief said, pointing to accelerated development, the revival of tourism, and the peaceful conduct of the Sri Amarnath Yatra, which saw over four lakh pilgrims—well above the five-year average.
“The transition from terrorism to tourism is no longer a slogan,” General Dwivedi said. “It is steadily becoming a reality on the ground.”
