Operation Sindoor suspended, not called off yet

Asserting that Operation Sindoor is not over and it only remains suspended for the time being, a senior Army official on Tuesday said the Indian Army remains alert, ready and, if challenged once more, will respond yet again.

The Poonch sector witnessed heightened tensions and artillery shelling attacks nearly two weeks ago, with the recent attacks here by Pakistan followed by India's retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

A wave of artillery shelling, missile and drone strikes in the Jammu region, particularly Poonch, killed 27 people and injured over 70 from May 8 to 10. Thousands have fled from the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) areas to seek refuge in government-run relief camps.

"Operation Sindoor is not over, it only remains suspended for the time being," Poonch Brigade Commander Brig Mudit Mahajan told reporters here.

Maintaining operational preparedness, he said, "The Indian Army remains alert, ready and, if challenged once more, we will respond yet again, not with words but with fire and the resolve of the nation." In sum, he said, the Pakistan Army's losses were not just in numbers but also in morale and initiative. "Today, they have lost their credibility before their own nation. So far, we have inputs suggesting heavy fatal and non-fatal casualties inflicted upon the enemy." He further said the number of fatal casualties is still increasing with each passing day, as intelligence agencies are working to corroborate and verify these inputs.

The Poonch Brigade was not merely involved but played a central role in the Indian Army's powerful response to the recent cross-border aggression during Operation Sindoor, he said.

"We did not wait to react, we prepared to respond. To that extent, I will say that the Poonch Brigade was not a part but the heart of Operation Sindoor," Mahajan said.

He spelled out the Brigade's active and continuous involvement in countering Pakistani aggression along the LoC.

"The Pakistan-sponsored terror strike at Pahalgam was met with a calibrated response from the Indian Army, initially focusing solely on terrorist infrastructure. The Army struck with unmatched precision and purpose — six of nine critical terrorist targets struck were opposite Poonch, Rajouri and Akhnoor, and these were neutralised effectively that night," he said.

However, when the Pakistan Army escalated the situation by targeting civilian areas, the Indian Army shifted gears. "Only when the Pakistan Army escalated by indiscriminately targeting civilian areas did the Indian Army decisively shift to hitting their military assets," Mahajan said.

Commenting on the emerging drone threat, the commander lauded the Army Air Defence units. "As the enemy unleashed a new threat of drone swarms, it was the Army Air Defence that truly emerged as the shining shield, demonstrating exceptional skill, resilience and cutting-edge coordination to intercept every aerial menace," he said.

The Poonch Brigade's actions, he emphasised, were marked by vigilance, valour and the unyielding resolve to safeguard national integrity.