‘Acts of terror will carry consequences’: Indian military’s message to Pakistan on Op Sindoor anniversary

Deputy Indian Air Force chief Air Marshal AK Bharti on Thursday said that India sent a clear message to Pakistan with Operation Sindoor that any misadventure will not go unanswered and acts of terror will carry consequences.

At a press conference on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Bharti said India had no choice but to respond in kind when Pakistani military sided with terrorists.

Following the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6-7 and struck nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). After Pakistan targeted Indian cities and military sites the next day, India struck Pakistani military sites. India responded by striking several Pakistani airbases, air defence units, and other military targets. The conflict ended on May 10 when India accepted Pakistan’s request of a ceasefire.

“When we responded, it was lethal and ruthless, and after taking the beating, sense kicked in, in the adversary, and they asked for cessation of hostilities. We paused when the request came. We stepped back, but we didn’t blink. The message was very clear, that any misadventure will not go unanswered. Acts of terror will carry consequences. We had achieved our objectives and our mission was complete,” said Bharti, who was the Director General of Air Operations at the time.

As for the lessons learnt, Bharti said Operation Sindoor reaffirmed the primacy of air power.

“It reassessed, reasserted the salience of jointness and a whole of nation approach. It vindicated Indian Air Forces focus on precision targeting and net centric warfare, with IACCCS [Integrated Air Command, Control and Communication System] emerging as a clear enabler Next, we are also able to see through our adversary. We now have firsthand confirmation of the capabilities, capacities and tactics they intended to hide,” said Bharti.