Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said that the military stance adopted following the Pahalgam terror attack remains unchanged, adding that the armed forces are actively preparing for a potential second operation.
“Operation Sindoor is still continuing,” General Dwivedi said while speaking to news agency ANI, going on to describe the current situation as a “temporary cessation of hostilities”.
Without directly naming Pakistan, he said that all three services of the Indian military were on standby and ready to act should a fresh operation be ordered.
“The Indian Army and all three services are on high alert and preparing well for Operation Sindoor 2.0, if it takes place. Presently, we are looking at enhancing our synergy within the three services, equipping ourselves for the next warfare… 24×7,” he told ANI.
On battlefield transparency, General Dwivedi cautioned that movements on both sides remain visible, placing greater responsibility on deployment decisions and troop protection.
“The battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side, therefore we have to be very cautious in terms of our deployment, employment and the protection required to protect our troops as well as the civilians in the border areas,” he remarked.
The army chief also touched on information warfare, saying its effectiveness depends on national unity and public trust in those disseminating information.
“Information warfare is only successful if the whole of nation gets together and trusts the people who are giving the information. If that happens, I can assure you that the nation which trusts each other and all these stakeholders will always win the war,” he said.
The statement from the Indian army chief comes little over a year after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, striking multiple locations across the border and targeting civilian population. The strikes resulted in heavy losses on the Indian side as a result of Pakistan’s retaliatory action, which included the downing of at least eight Indian Air Force (IAF) jets.
Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan-m-Marsoos also caused heavy damage to Indian military targets till a ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States (US), was announced just hours after Pakistani forces initiated its retaliatory action.
While the world attested to Pakistan’s military might and defence capabilities, it may be noted that the country’s civil and military leadership has repeatedly warned New Delhi against any future misadventures, vowing to serve a “deep, painful and decisive” blow in response to any attempts at challenging Pakistan’s territorial integrity.
