Lt Gen Ghai said that even though everyone was aware that a response from India was inevitable, the Indian military took its time. Screengrab: ANI/X
India carried out LoC deployments ahead of Operation Sindoor, says DGMO
Indian Army made precautionary LoC deployments before Operation Sindoor to deter the enemy after the Pahalgam attack, says DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai
The Indian military carried out precautionary deployments along the LoC ahead of Operation Sindoor to deter the enemy, said Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai on Tuesday (October 14). The DGMO said that the deployment at the border was also aimed at ensuring that everyone knew a response to the Pahalgam terror attack was imminent.
Speaking on Operation Sindoor at the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs' Conclave, Lt Gen Ghai also said that the final targets were selected from a long list that was scrutinised.
The DGMO said that following the Pahalgam attack on April 22 that left 26 civilians dead, the "Kashmir Resistance Front" initially claimed responsibility for the attack, but quickly withdrew, realising that the matter had possibly gone out of their control, reported ANI.
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‘Indian military took its time’
As for the timing of Operation Sindoor, Lt Gen Ghai said that even though everyone was aware that a response from India was inevitable, the Indian military took its time, and as the Chief of Army Staff had said earlier, the armed forces had complete operational freedom.
"On April 22, terror came calling (in Pahalgam). Sponsored terrorists from across the LoC killed 26 innocent tourists, singled them out, identified them, asked for the community that they came from and shot them in cold blood in front of their families and loved ones. There were immediate claimers; this was 'glory'. However, when the Kashmir Resistance Front initially claimed the attack, they realised that matters had possibly gone beyond their control, and they immediately withdrew,” said the DGMO.
“Everybody knew that a response was inevitable. But we took our time; the Chief of Army Staff alluded to this in some of his exchanges with the media, that there was complete flexibility for the armed forces to carry out and prosecute the actions that followed," he added as quoted by ANI.
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Flurry of actions
Elaborating further, the DGMO said that between April 22 and the night of May 6-7, actions remained fluid and evolving as targets were prioritised, precautionary deployments were carried out, and inter-service government departments and agencies were constantly coordinating with each other.
"Between April 22nd and the night of May 6-7, the actions were evolving and unfolding... We were prioritising our targets. We carried out certain precautionary deployments on our borders to make sure that the enemy was deterred. There were a lot of inter-service government departments and agencies that were coordinating amongst themselves,” the DGMO said.
The final selection of targets was carried out from a large number of targets that we scrutinised. While all this was happening, there was a very harmonised and proactive information warfare campaign that was also unfolding," he added.
Over 15,000 terror victims
Lt Gen Ghai also said that over 15,000 civilians have been killed due to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
"It's in the late 80s that this problem started in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, we've had more than 28,000 terror incidents. Since the 90s, we've had more than 100,000 people from the minorities who have been compelled to move out of Jammu and Kashmir, a migration of more than 60,000 families... 15,000 innocent civilians and more than 3000 security personnel have been killed, and it's very clear where this is coming from," he added.