'India's Fight Was Against Terrorists, Pakistan Responsible For Loses': Indian Armed Forces During Press Briefing On Operation Sindoor - Key Takeaways

New Delhi: A joint Indian Military press briefing on Operation Sindoor was held on Monday. During the press briefing Director Generals of Military, Air and Naval operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal AK Bharti and Vice Admiral AN Pramod, respectively, revealed the details of Operation Sindoor.

Air Marshal Bharti said that India's fight was with terrorist only and not with Pakistan, due to this reason only terror camps were destroyed. "However, It is a pity that the Pakistani military chose to intervene and that for terrorists, and hence we chose to respond, which compelled us to respond in kind," he stated.

He said that Pakistan was responsible for its loses.

Air Marshal Bharti also highlighted the the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system, ‘Akash’ in shooting down Pakistani drones. “Our battle-proven systems stood the test of time and take them head on. Another highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system, the Akash system,” he said.

"Putting together and operationalising the potent AD environment has been possible only because of budgetary and policy support from the government of India in the last decade," The IAF officer added.

Air Marshal Bharti also showed the composite pictures of targets engaged by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor.

The Indian military also displayed debris of seemingly a PL-15 air-to-air missile, which Pakistan reportedly used in the attack against India.

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral AN Pramod highlighted the Navy’s operational preparedness, noting that it functions as an integrated force capable of handling threats across all dimensions.

He said, "The Indian Navy operates as a composite network force capable of simultaneously addressing threats from all domains - air, surface and subsurface - through amalgamation of advanced sensors synchronised on the combat management systems. In effect, the maritime force is able to ensure persistent surveillance, detection and identification for a comprehensive maritime domain awareness."

Additionally, Lt General Ghai underscored the strength of India’s layered air defence, saying that penetrating its full spectrum is nearly impossible.

During the special briefing, Lt Gen Ghai used cricket analogy to explain Indiia's air defence system that perevent Pakistani drones and missiles to hit civilian and military establishment.

"Targeting our airfields and logistics is way too tough... I saw that Virat Kohli has just retired from test cricket; he is one of my favourites. In the 1970s, during the Ashes between Australia and England, two Australian bowlers destroyed the batting lineup of England, and then Australia gave a proverb - 'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Thommo don't get ya, Lillee must'. If you see the layers, you'll understand what I am trying to say. Even if you crossed all the layers, one of the layers of this grid system will hit you," he said.

Notably, the briefing was held before a DGMO-level meeting between India and Pakistan, two days after ceasefire between the two nations to de-escalate tensions post Operation Sindoor.

Published on: Monday, May 12, 2025, 02:50 PM IST