Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has revealed why India launched Operation Sindoor’s first strikes between 1–1:30 am on May 7, targeting nine terrorist sites inside Pakistan.
Speaking at Raj Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday, Gen Chauhan said the unusual timing was deliberate, serving two critical objectives — showcasing confidence in India’s ability to capture evidence in the dark and avoiding civilian casualties during early morning prayers.
“Earlier, we did the Balakot operation, but we didn’t have satellite images or photos. This time, despite the difficulty of collecting evidence at night, we chose 1 am because we trusted our capabilities and wanted to avoid civilian casualties,” he said.
Gen Chauhan stressed that launching strikes closer to 5:30–6 am — around the time of the first Azaan and Namaz — could have endangered civilian lives, something the Indian forces were determined to prevent.
Operation Sindoor: Precision at Midnight
On May 7, Indian forces conducted coordinated precision strikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, destroying multiple high-value targets. The operation came in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives.
Unlike the Uri and Balakot responses, Operation Sindoor integrated land, air, sea, cyber, electromagnetic, and space domains, relying heavily on drones, satellites, and signal intelligence.
‘A New Kind of Warfare’
Calling the operation a milestone, Gen Chauhan said Sindoor heralded a new age of warfare, where success is measured not by territory captured or enemy casualties, but by the sophistication and precision of attacks.
“Modern warfare demands that we fight today’s conflicts with tomorrow’s technology. The battlespace has expanded beyond land, sea, and air into space, cyber, electromagnetic, and even the cognitive domain,” he said.
He noted that India decisively outmaneuvered Pakistan in every escalation phase during the operation.
Lessons and the Road Ahead
Gen Chauhan also underlined that the three armed forces have drawn vital lessons from Operation Sindoor, which will shape India’s future preparedness and integration.
“Our forces are not just adapting, they are shaping the battlespace of the future. Victory today lies not only in decisive action but also in maintaining superiority across all domains,” he concluded.
