Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Friday issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that the country must stop state-sponsored terrorism or risk its very existence in history and geography. Speaking at an event in Rajasthan, General Dwivedi said India would show no restraint if provoked again, recalling the decisive action taken during Operation Sindoor 1.0.
“If Pakistan wants to maintain a place in world history and geography, it must stop state-sponsored terrorism. We will not show any restraint this time as we did during Operation Sindoor 1.0 and will go a step ahead if provoked again,” the Army chief said. He added that future action could be so forceful that Pakistan may have to “rethink whether it wants a place in history and geography or not.”
Operation Sindoor, carried out on May 7, saw Indian forces conduct precision strikes on nine terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and deep inside Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The operation reportedly killed over 100 terrorists.
General Dwivedi instructed Indian troops to remain fully prepared, hinting at the possibility of another opportunity to strike if provoked. “Please be fully prepared. God willing, you will get another opportunity very soon. All the best,” he said.
His warning comes on the same day after Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said Indian forces had downed four to five Pakistani fighter jets, including US-made F-16s and Chinese JF-17s, during the May operation. The air chief had also claimed that a high-value asset, likely an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, was neutralised.
The Army chief emphasised that during Operation Sindoor, India ensured no innocent lives were harmed and no military targets were destroyed, focusing solely on eliminating terrorist hideouts, training centres, and their masterminds. He said India also presented evidence of the destroyed terror infrastructure to the international community, preventing Pakistan from concealing the operation’s impact.
The May strikes had brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10 after Pakistani commanders requested the offensive be stopped.