'India has military capabilities to strike..entire Pakistan': Top Army officer
What's the story
India has the military capability to strike targets across the entire depth of Pakistan, a senior Indian Army officer has said.
"The whole of Pakistan is within range," Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, Director General of Army Air Defence, told ANI.
He added that even if the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) moves from Rawalpindi to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), they would still be within reach and that Islamabad would need to find a very deep hole to hide.
Statement
India has adequate arsenal of weapons
"India has an adequate arsenal of weapons to take on Pakistan right across its depth. So, from its broadest to its narrowest, wherever it is, the whole of Pakistan is within range."
"We are absolutely capable, from our borders or even in depth, where we can take on the entire Pakistan," the Army officer said.
Duty
'Armed forces' primary duty is protecting the nation's sovereignty'
That being said, Lt. Gen. D'Cunha emphasized that the armed forces' first duty is to safeguard the nation's sovereignty and people.
"Our job is to protect our sovereignty...people...So, I think that the very fact that we have been able to protect our motherland from this onslaught..."
"And the very fact that we ensured that this did not manifest in any casualties, I am sure it not only made the soldier feel proud, it made the families feel proud," he said.
Military action
Operation Sindoor targets Pakistani airbases
The statement comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, which saw Indian forces targeting key Pakistani airbases with precision strikes.
The operation was launched on May 7 after Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
India's retaliatory strikes forced Islamabad to initiate ceasefire talks, with both countries agreeing to stop firing on May 10.
Operation success
Advanced technology and coordination in operation
The success of Operation Sindoor was largely attributed to the use of advanced indigenous technology, including long-range drones and precision-guided munitions.
Lt. Gen. D'Cunha said Pakistan launched around 800-1,000 drones over four days across the western border, all of which were intercepted and destroyed.
"One thing for sure is that all the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles [UCAV] that carried a payload, although they intended to harm our civilian population...we ensured that they did not cause any damage."
Strategic shift
Operation Sindoor reflects India's proactive security doctrine
D'Cunha further noted that the Indian defense forces had anticipated Pakistan's drone tactics, which involved deploying a large number of low-cost drones at low altitudes to overload radar systems.
To prepare for this threat, the Army held simulation drills from April 26 to 28, allowing them to efficiently counter drone strikes.
India's Operation Sindoor mirrored the "Shishupala Doctrine," which advocates exercising patience until a certain threshold of provocation is crossed, followed by bold action.