Bhuj: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday praised the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) precision strike during Operation Sindoor, warning Pakistan that the mission was far from over and vowing stronger retaliation if provoked again.
Speaking to Air Warriors at the Bhuj Air Force Station in Gujarat, Singh said the offensive, launched in response to the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people on May 7, was “just a trailer.”
“We have kept Pakistan on probation,” Singh said. “If its behavior improves, then okay. Otherwise, it will be given the strictest punishment. Operation Sindoor is not over yet. When the right time comes, we will show the full picture to the world.”
Singh’s fiery remarks came amid heightened security tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The defense minister paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack and conveyed his wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured.
“Bhuj witnessed our victories against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. And today, once again, it stands as a witness to our strength,” he said, adding that the IAF’s swift and surgical execution of the mission made “every Indian proud — whether in India or abroad.”
According to Singh, the air strikes lasted only 23 minutes, but their impact reverberated far beyond Indian borders. “It would not be incorrect for me to say that the duration people take to have breakfast, you used that to deal with the enemies,” he said.
“You went into enemy territory, dropped missiles, and the echoes of those missiles were not confined to our borders — the whole world heard them. That echo was not just of missiles, but of your valor and bravery.”
Singh also made pointed remarks about Pakistan’s reaction to India’s homegrown missile technology.
“Even Pakistan has accepted the power of the BrahMos missile,” he said. “There is an old saying in our country, ‘Din mein taare dekhna’ (seeing stars in daylight). Made-in-India BrahMos missile showed ‘raat ke andhere mein din ka ujala’ (daylight in the darkness of night) to Pakistan.”
The defense minister’s comments come a day after he visited Army personnel in Srinagar. “Yesterday I met our jawans in the northern region; today I am here in the western part of the country. I am filled with pride at the high josh (enthusiasm) and energy I see across both fronts,” he said. “You are the reason India’s borders remain secure.”
Operation Sindoor was launched as a targeted response to the Pahalgam terror strike, marking one of India’s most aggressive counter-terror operations in recent years. The government has yet to officially release details of the operation’s targets or casualties.
