"Gone Are Days...": Army Commander On How Terror Operations Have Changed

Behind the tactical and precise strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor was a meticulous planning process with tri-services synergy. A senior Indian Army officer tasked with a major part of the operation has now opened up on the difficulties that they faced in gathering enough intelligence to launch missiles into the heart of the terrorists in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

Speaking at NDTV Defence Summit on Saturday, the army officer also shared the challenges that dragged the hunt for the three terrorists involved in the terror attack for three months, and culminated in their killing during Operation Mahadev last month.

Nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were struck during the May 7 military offensive that sought to avenge the terror attack. Of these, Northern Command was given the responsibility for seven camps, said Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma.

The other two-Muridke and Bhawalpur-were given to the Air Force. These two places are in the IB sector, and the identification and working of the coordinates were much easier, shared Lt Gen Sharma, while the remaining seven were tucked in the hills. "Those opposite to the Northern Command in the LC sector were very difficult. All these terror camps were tucked into the folds of the hills, well concealed. The depth may be lesser, but it was very difficult to gather technical or human intelligence," he said.

Read: At NDTV Defence Summit, New Videos Shown Of Operation Sindoor Strikes

The ceasefire violations were prompt after the May 7 strikes.

The cross-border firings began within 30 minutes, said Lt Gen Sharma. But the Indian side was alert and well-prepared for retaliation. "We were very clear that the moment something is done by Pakistan, immediate retaliation is going to be felt along the Line of Control," he said.

Over a hundred terrorists are believed to have been killed in the strikes on the nine camps, as the country boiled with rage over the massacre of 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam. Operation Sindoor, at this hour, demonstrated the country's capability to execute a swift and decisive response.

Lt Gen Sharma blamed Pakistan Army's chief Asim Munir for "direct provocation" that incited both terrorists and his forces ahead of the April 22 terror attack.

"This was, in fact, a direct provocation by the Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, who, in a provocative speech on April 16 in Islamabad, not only endorsed the two-nation theory, but also accepted that Kashmir continued to be the jugular vein. This was direct incitement to not only the terrorists but also the Pakistani Army," said the officer.

Soon after the terror strike came very specific and clear political guidelines, he recalled.

Read: Air Force Shows A Glimpse Of India's Integrated Air Command Map

"We were given clear strategic directions to undertake punitive strikes through precise engagement and target the perpetrators of this heinous crime and create a deterrence in the mind of Pakistan and Pakistan's army and clearly demonstrate the resolve of the nation to deal with terror with a policy of zero tolerance," said Lt Gen Sharma.

Then came Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, with Indian missiles flying into the terror camps. Lt Gen Sharma described Op Sindoor as a "masterstroke" in terms of timing and planning.

"India's surgical strike post Uri, Balakot aerial strikes post Pulwama, and Op Sindoor have not only demonstrated the national resolve to deal with the terror actions but also demonstrated the military capability to operate below the conventional domain and exploit this particular space," the officer said.

Meanwhile, the Army did not compromise on the counterterror operations in the hinterland, he said, highlighting that his men were on a hunt for all the Pakistani terrorists who had infiltrated, especially those who were involved in the Pahalgam attack.

When people thought justice was done, the families of the victims still kept waiting for the final justice, he said, pointing to the elimination of three terrorists during Operation Mahadev towards the end of July. "We were on a hunt for them since April 22...it was 97 days of day and night operation," he said.

Justifying the need for such long-running operations, the officer said terrorists have now abandoned their conventional ways.

"The operation of terrorists in the hinterland has changed. They no longer operate from built-up areas. They operate from the hills, jungles, and caves. Gone are the days when we had specific intelligence where we went and surrounded a house, and eliminated a terrorist," he said, adding that operations nowadays take beyond 30-odd days.