Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has laid out the inside story of India’s swift and decisive response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, disclosing that the armed forces were given a “free hand” within 24 hours.
Speaking on August 4, Gen. Dwivedi said a high-level meeting on April 23 saw Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declare “enough is enough.” He added, “All three service chiefs were clear that action was necessary. The directive was simple: ‘You decide what is to be done.’ That kind of political clarity and confidence was unprecedented.”
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to Gen. Dwivedi, planning began immediately after Rajnath Singh’s directive. By April 25, during a visit to Northern Command, seven of nine identified targets were finalised and later destroyed, resulting in numerous terrorist casualties.
The first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the attack took place on April 29. “Op Sindoor became a rallying point for the entire nation,” Gen. Dwivedi said. “People were asking, ‘Why have you stopped?’ — and that question has been amply answered.”
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has confirmed that during the operation, India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft. In total, over 100 terrorists were killed.