Newly declassified details of Operation Sindoor have revealed how carefully India planned its military action following the Pahalgam terror attack. The operation involved strict secrecy, detailed war-gaming and preparations for a possible Pakistani response.
Indian military planners understood that destroying terrorist targets could trigger further action from Pakistan. Therefore, the strikes were planned as part of a broader military strategy, with several possible retaliation scenarios considered in advance.
India Prepared for Pakistan’s Retaliation
According to the declassified account, Indian forces conducted extensive war-gaming to prepare for different responses from Pakistan after the terrorist targets were attacked.
The planning also focused on information warfare.
Colonel Ashish Upreti, Director of Strategic Communication, said Pakistan had developed a sophisticated approach to spreading misinformation.
“Denial, distortion and fabrication of facts is something they have honed over a period of time,” Upreti said.
He described the scale of the misinformation campaign as being carried out on an “industrial scale.”
Why India Prepared Real-Time Strike Evidence
Indian military planners also wanted to ensure that the results of the strikes could be independently demonstrated.
Visual evidence was therefore prepared to show the targets being hit. The strategy was aimed at limiting the possibility of Pakistan creating a competing narrative about what had happened.
The military leadership wanted the evidence to help establish the outcome of the strikes while countering misinformation.
Strike Date Was Kept Extremely Secret
The declassified details show the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the timing of Operation Sindoor.
According to the account, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh decided on May 1 that the strikes would take place on May 7. The operation was scheduled to begin between 1 am and 2 am.
The information was not communicated through regular digital or telephone channels. Instead, the date was reportedly conveyed through a small paper chit.
Only a very limited number of senior officials knew the exact timing of the operation.
By May 6, operational commanders knew that the targets would be attacked at night, but the precise date remained restricted to a small circle. The Director General of Military Operations was among those who knew the exact timing before informing the personnel involved.
Secrecy Extended to Senior Military Families
The precautions were reportedly so strict that even people close to India’s top military leadership were kept unaware of the actual plan.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh recalled that he had planned to leave Delhi on the evening of the operation. Those around him believed he was travelling to Baroda.
He boarded an aircraft, conducted a local sortie and then returned to Delhi.
The movement helped maintain secrecy around the operation and prevented the actual plan from becoming obvious.
Senior Commanders Monitored the Strikes Live
After Operation Sindoor began, India’s senior military leadership was able to monitor the strikes in real time.
Multiple screens displayed live feeds, allowing commanders to watch as the designated targets were attacked.
This gave the military leadership an immediate view of how the operation was progressing.
Why Were the Strikes Conducted at Night?
The night-time operation was planned mainly to preserve the element of surprise and improve the chances of hitting the intended targets.
Military planners also had to consider the movement of terrorists at the targeted locations.
During the daytime, potential targets could be away from the camps or involved in training and other activities. Their movements could therefore be more difficult to predict.
The night window provided an opportunity to strike when the presence of the intended targets could be assessed with greater confidence.
How Did Operation Sindoor Get Its Name?
The declassified account has also revealed the story behind the name Operation Sindoor.
The Army had initially proposed “Operation Tulip Garden”, referring to Kashmir and the location associated with the Pahalgam terror attack.
When Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi discussed the proposed name with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Modi suggested the name “Operation Sindoor.”
Dwivedi initially believed the name might have been connected to the Indus Water Treaty, one of India’s measures following the Pahalgam attack.
However, Modi explained that the name referred to the sindoor associated with women whose husbands were killed in the terror attack.
According to the declassified account, Modi said:
“Operation Sindoor isliye kyunki unhone humare mahila ke maan ka sindoor ujada hai toh hume uska badla lena hai.”
The Army later adopted the name, which was also used by the Navy and Air Force, giving all three services a common identity for the operation.
Operation Sindoor Involved More Than the Initial Strikes
The newly declassified information provides a picture of an operation that involved extensive preparation beyond the destruction of terrorist targets.
Indian military planners prepared for possible Pakistani retaliation, protected the strike date through strict secrecy and planned for the release of visual evidence to counter misinformation.
The operation therefore combined military planning, intelligence, secrecy and information warfare to maintain both the element of surprise and control over the narrative surrounding the strikes.
