Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Friday launched a book on Operation Sindoor and underscored that the military campaign did not conclude on May 10 as widely believed, but continued with crucial decisions and actions well beyond that date.
Speaking at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, Gen Dwivedi unveiled the book Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan, authored by Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd). The book, he said, sheds light on political clarity, the interpretation of “full freedom” granted to the armed forces, and the politico-military objectives behind India’s decisive strikes.
“You may be thinking that on May 10, the war finished; no, because it continued for a long time, because so many decisions were to be taken, and beyond that, of course, it will be difficult for me to share here,” Gen Dwivedi remarked.
Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of May 7, after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Indian forces struck multiple terror infrastructures inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in a focused and measured campaign that New Delhi later described as “non-escalatory.” Pakistani forces retaliated, prompting counter-offensives from India, and the conflict formally subsided on May 10 after an understanding between both sides.
The Army Chief described the book as more than just a military narrative, calling it a tribute to the “courage, professionalism and unyielding spirit” of the Indian Army. He thanked Lt Gen Dhillon for documenting what he termed as “an untold story” of the LoC battles and the larger operation.
Gen Dwivedi also referred to reports of Pakistani soldiers receiving posthumous awards after the strikes, noting that much of the credit belonged to the intensity of India’s Line of Control operations. He recalled an intercepted excerpt that read, “Bahut hua, file chhoro, jaldi se Muzaffarabad bhago”, highlighting the scale of Indian firepower.
Explaining the complexity of the campaign, the Army Chief said the book successfully transitions from the “supra-strategic to the tactical,” covering themes such as force visualisation, force protection, and force application. He stressed the importance of centralised planning with decentralised execution and the orchestration of the Army, Navy, and Air Force in a “rhythmic wave” throughout the 88 hours of intense operations.
Operation Sindoor, Gen Dwivedi said, has now become an emphatic symbol of India’s “new normal” against terrorism, including cross-border terror. “India announced its resolve with outstanding clarity in strategic guidance, with a whole-of-nation approach,” he asserted.
The Army Chief also noted that the operation offers lessons for narrative management and media conduct, given the role of information in shaping public perception during such conflicts.
