India Achieved Its Political and Military Objectives in Operation Sindoor: DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai
New Delhi, Oct 15:
Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai on Tuesday said that India decisively achieved its political and military objectives through Operation Sindoor, a calibrated and resolute response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism.
Speaking at the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries’ (UNTCC) Chiefs’ Conclave, Lt Gen Ghai said the operation, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack, reflected India’s evolved strategic doctrine—one that transcends the binaries of peace and war.
“Operation Sindoor was a direct response to evolving threats and complex operational environments. It showcased India’s ability to blend military precision with diplomatic agility, informational superiority, and economic leverage,” Lt Gen Ghai asserted.
Highlighting India’s longstanding commitment to global peacekeeping, the DGMO noted that India’s response was guided by restraint, responsibility, and resolve. “This was not a distant engagement but a necessary counter to the scourge of terrorism that has plagued our region for decades,” he said.
Lt Gen Ghai recalled India’s earlier decisive actions — the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot air strikes — emphasizing that the magnitude of the recent events necessitated an equally strong response. “It was the intensity and the magnitude of the Pahalgam attack that compelled us to act in a manner that the world is now well familiar with,” he remarked.
Tracing the roots of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir to the late 1980s, he underlined the grave human and security cost India has borne. “Since then, there have been more than 28,000 terror incidents, over 15,000 civilian casualties, and 3,000 security personnel martyred. More than 60,000 minority families were forced to migrate—clear evidence of where the problem originates,” he said.
The DGMO also took note of Pakistan’s blatant nexus between its army and terrorist groups, which became evident in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. “We witnessed an open display of this unholy alliance — UN-proscribed terrorists leading prayers attended by senior Pakistan Army officers, including the IV Corps Commander Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, and senior Punjab officials. Caution was thrown to the winds,” he revealed.
Lt Gen Ghai stated that Pakistan’s top military leadership was under duress, seeking to revive its eroded image through reckless provocations. “It is well known that the Pakistan Army and its chief were under tremendous internal pressure. Their cowardly actions were a desperate attempt to regain lost credibility,” he said.
The DGMO further disclosed that India had placed the Indus Waters Treaty under abeyance immediately following the Pahalgam terror attack, underscoring the government’s multi-pronged approach that extended beyond military action.
“In just 88 hours, Pakistan sought cessation of hostilities. We hit nine key targets across Pakistan’s territory and PoJK. We achieved our political and military aims with measured precision,” Lt Gen Ghai affirmed.
He underscored that Operation Sindoor exemplified India’s growing maturity in handling modern conflicts. “Our actions were targeted, controlled, and non-escalatory — aimed at maintaining strategic credibility while extending our punitive reach to unprecedented levels,” he said.
The operation, carried out in May this year, saw precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, followed by the effective repulsion of Pakistani aggression and destruction of enemy airbases. The swift and coordinated action prompted Pakistan to seek a ceasefire through its DGMO counterpart.
Lt Gen Ghai concluded by noting that Operation Sindoor marks a new era in India’s military and diplomatic conduct — one defined by decisive action, moral clarity, and strategic coherence.
