Army Chief General Dwivedi Mocks Pakistan’s ‘Victory’ Claims After Operation Sindoor

 Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday delivered a pointed rebuke to Pakistan’s claims of success following the May 7 launch of Operation Sindoor, highlighting what he described as misplaced celebrations in Islamabad despite military setbacks.

Speaking at an event at IIT Madras, Gen. Dwivedi referred to Pakistan’s narrative-building in the wake of the four-day conflict, noting the elevation of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to the rare rank of five-star general and field marshal.

“If you ask a Pakistani whether they lost or won, they’d say, ‘My chief has become a field marshal. We must have won — that’s why he’s become a field marshal,’” he remarked.

The Army Chief commended the Central Government for granting the armed forces complete operational freedom during the mission.

“What happened on 22 April in Pahalgam shocked the nation. The very next day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, ‘Enough is enough.’ For the first time, all three service chiefs were united in their resolve. The political direction and clarity were absolute — we were told, ‘You decide what is to be done.’ That kind of confidence and freedom significantly boosted our morale and enabled our commanders to act decisively on the ground,” he said.

Earlier, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, addressing a gathering in Bengaluru, echoed similar sentiments, crediting the mission’s success to the government’s “political will” and absence of external constraints.

“There was very clear political will and very clear directions. No restrictions were imposed on us… Any limitations were self-imposed. The forces determined the rules of engagement and managed escalation on our own terms,” the Air Chief said.

Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Indian strikes eliminated over 100 militants linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

In response, Pakistan engaged in cross-border shelling, attempted drone incursions, and air defence operations. India’s counterstrikes went on to cripple critical Pakistani military assets, including radar systems, communication nodes, and 11 key air bases, notably the Nur Khan air base.