Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said Operation Sindoor decisively ended doubts lingering from the 2019 Balakot strike, confirming India’s success in neutralising terror infrastructure. He praised the decision to halt hostilities with Pakistan, emphasising the operation’s clear objective to teach terrorists a lesson.
Addressing the 16th edition of the Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh revisited the controversy that followed the 2019 Balakot airstrike.
“In Balakot, we could not get anything from inside, and it became a big issue trying to tell our own people what we achieved. We had very clear intelligence about the damage and neutralised terrorists, but we could not convince our own people,” he said.
Singh expressed satisfaction that Operation Sindoor overcame this hurdle by sharing clear satellite imagery and media reports, effectively showing the world the impact of India’s strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Singh lauded India’s decision to stop the war after achieving its goals, highlighting that the operation was focused solely on delivering a strong message to terrorist groups responsible for the brutal Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 tourists lost their lives.
“People let egos drive ongoing conflicts, but we set a good example by knowing when to stop. Our objective was clear: to teach terrorists a lesson. Once that was done, we had to look for opportunities to end hostilities,” he explained.
He acknowledged some calls for continued fighting but emphasised that sustained warfare was not in the nation’s interest.
The IAF chief revealed key operational details: Five Pakistani fighter jets were destroyed, One AEW&C/ELINT aircraft, a specialised airborne surveillance platform, was downed at about 300 km range, marking the largest recorded surface-to-air missile kill in history.
Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure linked to groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, killing over 100 militants. The strikes spanned Pakistan and PoK, showcasing India’s integrated defence capabilities.
