‘It Was Like Playing Chess’: Army Chief Opens Up on Operation Sindoor’s Planning and Execution
For the first time, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has publicly shared details of Operation Sindoor’s preparation and execution. Speaking at the inauguration of ‘Agnishodh’, the Indian Army Research Cell at IIT Madras earlier this week, he compared the mission’s strategy to a game of chess — operating in the “grey zone”, just short of a full-scale conventional military engagement.
“In Op Sindoor, we played chess… meaning, we didn’t know the enemy’s next move, nor did they know ours,” General Dwivedi explained. “The grey zone is where we avoid conventional operations, but take decisive actions that fall just short of them.”
The planning began on 23 April, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the three service chiefs agreed that strong action was necessary. “The Defence Minister said ‘enough is enough’, and we were given a free hand to decide the course of action,” the Army Chief said.
By 25 April, Northern Command had already executed strikes on seven of nine high-value targets, eliminating multiple terrorists. Unlike previous missions — such as Uri, which targeted launch pads, and Balakot, which struck training camps deep inside Pakistan — Operation Sindoor “went wide and deep” into what General Dwivedi called the enemy’s “heartland”.
The main targets, codenamed “Nursery” and “Masters”, were hit for the first time, shocking the adversary. Five targets were in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Punjab, with two missions conducted jointly with the Indian Air Force.
“This test match stopped on the fourth day. It could have gone on for 14 days, 140 days, or even longer. We have to be prepared for such situations,” he remarked.
IAF Confirms Major Aerial Kills in Sindoor
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh revealed that India’s air defence systems shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one AEW&C/ELINT surveillance aircraft during the operation — the largest-ever surface-to-air kills recorded by India.
Speaking at the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture, he detailed the 7 May strikes on terrorist infrastructure near the border and inside Pakistan. “We have at least five fighters confirmed destroyed, and one large surveillance aircraft taken out at about 300 kilometres,” Singh said.
Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The government’s delay in revealing operational details had earlier faced criticism from opposition parties.
