New Delhi: Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, recently shared new footage and details of Operation Sindoor, India’s military action targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in May, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 people.
Air Marshal Tiwari revealed that the Indian Air Force fired fewer than 50 weapons to bring Pakistan to the negotiating table.
“From the list of options presented, we had a large number of target sets. And finally, we boiled down to nine,” Air Marshal Tiwari said during his address at the NDTV Defence Summit.
“Key takeaway for us is that in less than 50 weapons, we were able to achieve conflict elimination. So this is the essential part which I want you to take away,” he added.
“This is the first time after Operation Sindoor that, as an Air Force, we are speaking on a public forum… When the attack in Pahalgam happened, the very next day, all three services met in their respective headquarters and started planning possible options. Some of these plans and contingencies are prepared over a period of time, and we bring them out for such eventualities when we need to respond quickly. The operational options were presented to a high-level team on the 24th of April,” he said.
“All the possible options for all three services were discussed, and essentially, we shortlisted targets and tactical planning commenced around the 29th of April. We had shortlisted targets; only the date and time were to be decided, which was finally fixed on the 5th of May. As you are well aware, on the 6th, 7th (early morning), and 9th, we struck the targets,” the senior IAF officer added.
Air Marshal Tiwari noted that New Delhi’s top directives included three clear objectives: the response had to be strong and visible, the messaging needed to serve as a deterrent against future attacks, and the armed forces were given complete operational freedom while being prepared for the possibility of a full-scale conventional conflict.
India carried out precision strikes as part of Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure in the early hours of May 7, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
In response to India’s military action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian forces then launched a fierce counter-offensive on several Pakistani military installations.
An understanding between India and Pakistan was reached on May 10, which brought an end to the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.