ANUPGARH/JAIPUR, Oct 3: In a stern warning to Pakistan, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Friday that the neighbouring country should stop sponsoring terrorism on its soil if wants to retain its place on the world map.
The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) also said the restraint shown by New Delhi during Operation Sindoor would not be repeated in case of a future military conflict and urged Indian soldiers to remain poised for action.
“India, as a country, is fully prepared this time. And this time, it will not show the restraint that it showed during Operation Sindoor 1.0. ““This time we will take a step forward and act in a manner that will make Pakistan think whether it wants to remain on the world map or not,” General Dwivedi said in a sternly-worded address to soldiers at Anupgarh in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district.
He asserted that if Pakistan wants to retain its place on the world map, it will have to stop state-sponsored terrorism.
The Army chief told the soldiers to stay prepared. “Keep yourselves fully prepared now, if god wants, the opportunity will come soon,” he said.
Gen. Dwivedi said India has given evidence to the world of the presence of terrorist hideouts in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Had India not unearthed this evidence, Pakistan would have hidden all of it, he said.
The Army chief said the entire world stood with India when it launched Operation Sindoor in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
He said the Indian military hit nine targets inside Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, of which seven were hit by the Army and two by the Air Force.
“We had identified the targets because we only wanted to harm the terrorists. We had aimed to strike their bases.
“We have no complaints against ordinary Pakistani citizens, so long as their country does not sponsor terrorists.”
“Because terrorists were being sponsored, those terrorist targets were hit,” Gen. Dwivedi said.
Replying to a question about his appeal to those living near the international border, he said, “We consider the border population not as ordinary civilians but as soldiers.”
“That means they stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the battle. This is crucial because the coming struggle is the nation’s struggle, not just the Army’s.”
The Army chief said history bears witness that during the 1965 and 1971 wars, ordinary citizens stood shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers.“We would want them to join us in the days ahead as well. I want to thank them — their zeal boosts the morale of our soldiers,” he said. (PTI)
Pakistan lost 12-13 aircraft, including F-17, during Operation Sindoor: Air Chief Marshal
NEW DELHI, Oct 3: At least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft including F-16 jets were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Friday while describing Islamabad’s claim of India’s losses as “fanciful stories” (Manohar Kahaniyan).
The Air Chief Marshal also said that the Indian action damaged a large number of military infrastructure in Pakistan that included hangars in three locations, radars in at least four places, command and control centres in two sites and runways in two air bases.
Air Chief Marshal Singh was addressing a press conference days ahead of the annual Air Force Day.
On reports that various terror groups in Pakistan are relocating their bases to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following the Operation Sindoor, he said it was expected and that the Indian Air Force have the capability to go deep inside to hit their hideouts with absolutely accurate targeting.
He said the IAF has finalised its plan to expand its combat capabilities under Roadmap 2047 and the force would need 35 to 40 new aircraft including combat jets annually for next two decades to boost its air power.
To questions, he provided details of Pakistan’s losses during Operation Sindoor, citing intelligence reports and evidence collected through electronic surveillance.
“What we have gathered from the intelligence report is that because of these strikes, radars at least four places, command and control centres at two places, runways at two places and then three of their hangars in three different stations have been damaged,” he said.
In hangars as well as on tarmac, we have signs of one C-130 class of aircraft, one AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) class of aircraft and at least four to five fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, were hit on the ground, he said.
While there were reports of damages to Pakistan’s F-16 jets in a hangar, it was the first time the IAF confirmed hitting the US-manufactured jet in the air. The JF-17 is a Chinese jet.
The details shared by the IAF Chief takes the total number of aircraft lost by Pakistan to 12 to 13. (PTI)
