'India was ready for ground offensive against Pakistan': Army chief says Operation Sindoor still underway – Firstpost

Amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday declared the armed forces were fully prepared to launch ground operations if Pakistan had attempted any misadventure during Operation Sindoor, stressing that India has significantly expanded the scope for conventional military action.

Speaking at an event, General Dwivedi remarked India had undertaken “major mobilisation” and was ready for a “ground offensive” had the situation escalated. His remarks come days after multiple drones were spotted along the Line of Control in Kashmir. While he did not share further operational details, the Army chief mentioned the situation in the Union Territory remains “sensitive but firmly under control”.

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#WATCH | Delhi: Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi says, "As for the drones, the drones we have seen are very small drones. They come with their lights on. They don't fly at very high altitudes, and they have been seen very infrequently. Around 6 drones were seen on the… pic.twitter.com/uUAtz051E0

— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2026More from World Indian Army chief holds talks with UAE's top commander amid Emirates-Saudi tension in Yemen Suspected Pakistani drones hover over sensitive areas in Jammu, army opens fire in Rajouri

Operation Sindoor still underway

Addressing the annual press conference, General Dwivedi mentioned Operation Sindoor, which began in May 2025, is still underway and that Indian forces continue to remain on high alert.

“As far as our eyes and ears are concerned, since Operation Sindoor is underway, they will remain fully alert. Under this, we have already put in place whatever actions are required from our side,” he noted while responding to a question on terror camps operating in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

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He reported that, based on available information, nearly eight terror camps remain active — two opposite the International Border and six along the Line of Control — with some presence or training activity still continuing.

“If any such activity happens again, we will certainly carry out whatever action we intend to take,” he added.

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Why Operation Sindoor was launched

Operation Sindoor was launched in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which at least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. The attack was the deadliest in the Kashmir Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.

India blamed The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, for the attack. While both TRF and Pakistan denied involvement, India carried out military strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Four-day standoff with Pakistan

During the tri-services operation, the Army, Navy and Air Force targeted nine terror camps. The strikes triggered a four-day standoff between India and Pakistan, leading to blackouts and air raid sirens along the Line of Control and the International Border.

Referring to the 88-hour standoff, General Dwivedi noted the scale of India’s mobilisation was such that ground operations could have been launched if Pakistan had made any mistake.

Expanding the conventional space

The Army chief mentioned earlier assessments had suggested that the space for conventional military action was shrinking, with conflicts rapidly escalating from sub-conventional levels to the nuclear domain. However, India’s response during Operation Sindoor demonstrated otherwise.

“This time, the action we took — especially the firing in Jammu and Kashmir and the way we responded — showed that we expanded the conventional space,” he declared, adding that around 100 Pakistani personnel were eliminated during the operation.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack, targeting terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan later attempted strikes on military and civilian installations, but India responded with strong counter-attacks, following which Islamabad approached New Delhi for a ceasefire understanding on May 10.

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