Indian Forces Gain Full Autonomy for Operation Sindoor After Defence Minister’s Directive
Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi disclosed that the Indian armed forces were given unrestricted authority to conduct retaliatory strikes following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. During a statement on August 4, he mentioned that this directive was issued during a high-level meeting on April 23, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized a decisive political stance with the words “enough is enough.”
“The chiefs of all three services were unanimous in the necessity for action. The unprecedented political clarity and confidence provided by the government allowed ground commanders to operate with complete autonomy,” General Dwivedi remarked.
In the days that followed, Operation Sindoor was developed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. By April 25, military leaders had visited Northern Command, finalized the plans, and identified seven of the nine primary targets. “These were conceptualized, planned, and executed successfully, leading to the elimination of a significant number of terrorists,” the Army chief stated.
He highlighted that the initial meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this operation took place on April 29. The operation, which commenced on May 7, resulted in the deaths of over 100 terrorists.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirmed on Saturday that the Indian Air Force, during the operation, shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and an airborne early warning and control aircraft, describing it as among the largest recorded surface-to-air kills.
General Dwivedi noted that Operation Sindoor became a unifying event for the nation. “It brought the entire country together and answered the lingering question of why to halt,” he commented.
