- Indian Army chief warned Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism or lose its geographical presence
- Air Force chief said Pak had lost four to five fighter jets, including US-made F-16s during Op Sindoor
- The warning came after strong comments by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Pak aggression in Sir Creek
Indian military chiefs delivered a fiery warning to Pakistan Friday - including a veiled threat to wipe the country off the map - over its continued support of cross-border terrorism. 'Stop supporting terrorism or lose your geographical presence...', Islamabad was told, the memory of Operation Sindoor reinforced.
Speaking at an outpost in Rajasthan's Anupgarh, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said the Indian military would not show restraint if called to battle again, while Air Force chief AP Singh, at a presser in Delhi, reminded Pak about heavy losses suffered during Operation Sindoor.
"This time we will not maintain restraint we had in Op Sindoor 1.0. This time we will do something that will make Pakistan think... If Pakistan wants to retain its place in geography, then it must stop state-sponsored terrorism," the Army Chief thundered.
He also said the focus of the strikes were terrorist camps and bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Targeting these presented evidence to the world Islamabad does, in fact, harbour terrorism on its soil. Had India not acted, Pak would have hidden the truth, he said.
READ | 'Will Erase From Map, Won't Exercise Restraint': Army Chief Warns Pak
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, meanwhile, said India shot down at least one Pak AEW&C (an airborne early warning platform) aircraft and four to five fighter jets, including US-made F-16s.
The tag-team takedown of Pak echoed strong remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May, two days after the Op Sindoor ceasefire. Pakistan, he said then, must know that India's military has only suspended strikes on promises to act against terrorist groups operating from its soil.
READ | "Pak F-16, J-17 Fighter Jets Destroyed In Op Sindoor": Air Force Chief
"In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan on one criterion... what sort of attitude will they adopt (in dealing with terrorist groups embedded in its territories)." If Pakistan backtracks or misleads... then let me repeat that we have only suspended our action."
India has repeatedly warned Pakistan that Op Sindoor - which began as retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack - was only paused after the May 10 ceasefire, which Air Chief Marshal Singh underlined this afternoon had been asked for by Pakistan, and not a third party.
READ | "If Pak Wants To Survive As A Nation...": PM's Ultimatum To Islamabad
The comment underlines India's repeated assertion - the ceasefire was only because Pakistan asked for peace - made as United States President Donald Trump claimed credit.
The Indian military leaders' comments also came after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan over another long-standing border dispute, this one over Sir Creek in Gujarat.
Reminding Pakistan the Indian armed forces hit its targets, disabling terrorist infrastructure and crippling Pak air defences, the Defence Minister said Op Sindoor had "exposed" the latter and put the enemy on alert. He also called out unsuccessful attempts to penetrate Indian defences.
READ | The India-Pak Sir Creek Border Dispute. What Is It? Why Is It Important?
Pak should keep this in mind when considering aggression in the disputed Sir Creek area, he said. "Any aggression by Pakistan in the Sir Creek area will be met with a resounding response that will change both history and geography," the Defence Minister declared.
