New Delhi/Prayagraj, May 4: Days ahead of the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday described it as a “unique” example of how the Indian military utilised advanced technology to deliver a decisive blow to terror groups and their “patrons”.
Addressing an event in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, Singh emphasised that while the armed forces “showed patience”, they were clinical in destroying terrorist infrastructure.
He added that the operation served as a global reminder of the Indian military’s capabilities.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan.
The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
“The decisive response our soldiers gave to the terrorists and their patrons made the entire nation proud. It was a good thing that we showed patience and destroyed only the terrorists; otherwise, the whole world knows what our armed forces are capable of,” Singh said.
The defence minister described the operation as a unique example of technology use.
“Advanced missile systems like Akash and BrahMos, along with a host of latest equipment, were used in this operation,” Singh said.
“This proved that our forces both understand changes and use them with confidence,” he said.
Citing the current geopolitical environment, the defence minister underlined the need for the military to remain alert and adapt to the changing environment.
“In today’s complex and rapidly changing environment, there is only one mantra to move forward: adaptability. Changing ourselves according to changing circumstances should be our priority,” he said.
Explaining this, he called for “pro-active preparations” for any possible national security challenge.
“When I’m talking about proactive preparation, there’s another important aspect to it — the surprise element. We also need to develop such capabilities so that when the need arises, we can take action that the opponent never even thought of,” he said.
“Let them get surprised. History bears witness that in war, the decisive edge has always been with the one who has the surprise element. I know that our armed forces are working in this direction.”
“But we need to be even more proactive and continue working in this direction,” he said.
