Army chief reveals behind-the-scenes of Op Sindoor, says played chess, delivered checkmate

Chennai: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi has shared rare insights into the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor, describing it as a strategic, high-stakes mission that combined military precision with political clarity.

Addressing students and faculty at IIT Madras on Saturday, he recounted how the operation was conceived and executed in the days following the April 22 dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-based terrorists.

“On April 22, you are aware of what happened in Pahalgam – it shocked the entire nation,” General Dwivedi said.

“The very next day, April 23, we sat down for discussions. For the first time, the Raksha Mantri said, ‘Enough is enough’. All three service chiefs agreed that decisive action was needed, and we were given a free hand to decide the course. That kind of political direction and clarity was something we witnessed for the first time,” he said.

Two days later, on April 25, the Army chief visited the Northern Command, the nerve centre where the strategy for Operation Sindoor was conceptualised.

“It was there that we planned, conceptualised, and executed the mission. Out of nine designated targets, seven were destroyed, and a large number of terrorists were neutralised. April 29, of course, was the time when we met the Prime Minister for the first time,” he revealed.

Explaining the tactical mindset behind the mission, General Dwivedi likened Operation Sindoor to a game of chess played in the ‘grey zone’.

“In Operation Sindoor, we played chess. We did not know the enemy’s next move, and they did not know ours. This is called the grey zone – operations that fall just short of a conventional war. We made moves, they countered, and sometimes we delivered checkmate. At other times, we went for the kill, even at the risk of losing our own. That’s what life in uniform is all about,” he said.

The Army chief’s remarks drew attention not only to the military’s operational capabilities but also to the political leadership’s decisive stance in green-lighting the mission. His candid account offered the IIT Madras audience a rare glimpse into the complex decision-making and calculated risks involved in modern military operations.

–IANS