’Op Sindoor was just a trailer’: Army chief's reminder to Pakistan over cross-border terrorism

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday delivered a sharp message to Pakistan, stating that Operation Sindoor was only a “trailer” and cautioning that India would teach its neighbour “how to behave responsibly” if it continued supporting cross-border terrorism.

Speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, he said, “Operation Sindoor was just a trailer that ended in 88 hours. We are prepared for any circumstances in the future. If Pakistan gives a chance, we will teach it how to behave responsibly with a neighbouring nation.”

Reiterates stance on terrorism

Operation Sindoor, launched on 7 May after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, targeted terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and led to several cross-border clashes. The confrontation ended on 10 May when Pakistan sought a ceasefire, following which both sides agreed not to fire on each other. Gen Dwivedi stressed that “terror and talks cannot go together” and said Pakistan continued to back state-sponsored terrorism.

“Deterrence works when there is political will, trust in military power, and the required military capability. As of now, we have all three,” he said. Reflecting on conditions in Jammu and Kashmir before Article 370 was revoked, he noted that terrorism had declined steeply since December 5, 2019. “There have been many positive changes since August 5, 2019, after Article 370 was revoked. Earlier, on Independence Day, children used to ask which flag they should draw. That confusion no longer exists. Terrorism in the Valley has fallen sharply, with recruitments dropping,” he said.

The army chief stated that 31 terrorists had been killed, 61 per cent of whom were from Pakistan. He added that there had been just one recruitment and that individual had been caught. Without naming the nation directly, he said it remained concerning when a country “encourages state-sponsored terrorism”. He added, “If someone creates obstacles in our course, then we will have to take some action against them. When we talk about the new normal, we have said that talks and terror can’t go together. All we are asking is to adopt a peaceful process, which we will cooperate with,” he said. He added India would “treat terrorists and their sponsors alike” and respond to anyone encouraging terror, adding that the country was no longer vulnerable to “blackmail attempts”.

Gen Dwivedi underlined that battles today were multi-domain and unpredictable in duration, noting the need to maintain supplies for prolonged operations.

Notes improved communication with China and outlines restructuring

On India’s border situation with China, the Army Chief said ties had improved over the past year. “From Oct 2024, India China ties have improved after political leaders held talks… both sides looking for conflict resolution. If we have clear political direction, then it helps,” he said.

He added, “There have been significant changes over the past year — our relations have improved a lot. When political directions are clear, it benefits every level. The Prime Minister and the Chinese leadership talked and worked out a solution. The more dialogue that happens at the border, the better it will be.”

He explained that ground-level engagements with Chinese counterparts were ongoing. “We are having several ground-level talks with Chinese at the border. Aim is to resolve most issues at the ground. Both sides have direction from the top,” he said. He added, “We have very good ground-level cooperation/talks with the Chinese at the border.”

Gen Dwivedi also said that “keeping future warfare in mind, the Indian Army had undertaken multiple restructuring measures and gained freedom for emergency procurement.”