Who Is Col Sofiya Qureshi? Indian Army Officer Leading Operation Sindoor Briefing Alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri

New Delhi: Following India's targeted military strikes on the terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, May 7, a press briefing was conducted by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.

The trio briefed the media on the precision air strikes executed by the Indian Air Force on nine terrorist bases, in retaliation to the April 22 deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Who Is Sofiya Qureshi?

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is a senior officer in the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals. A native of Gujarat and a postgraduate in biochemistry, Qureshi hails from a family with a strong military legacy, her grandfather served in the Indian Army, and her husband is a Major in the Mechanised Infantry.

In 2006, she was deployed as a military observer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Congo. Her experience in multinational military operations and her consistent involvement in Peacekeeping Operations (PKOs) for over six years earned her a distinguished position among India's top military trainers.

Her leadership was nationally recognised when she became the first Indian woman officer to lead an Indian Army training contingent during the ASEAN Plus military exercise ‘Force 18’ in 2016. Reflecting on her selection, then Lt Gen Bipin Rawat had said, “In the army, we believe in equal opportunity and equal responsibility... She has been picked not because she is a woman, but because she has the abilities and leadership qualities to shoulder the responsibility.”

The Pahalgam Attack, Its Aftermath, and Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor is India’s calculated response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 individuals. The IAF, with precision munitions, struck terror launchpads across Pakistan and PoK late Tuesday night, neutralising targets affiliated with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Published on: Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 11:07 AM IST