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India carried out precise airstrikes and struck at least nine terror strongholds in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan in Ranchi. (ANI)
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Thursday disclosed why India carried out Operation Sindoor at 1-1:30 am in the night on May 7 to target terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which triggered a four-day conflict.
India carried out precise airstrikes and struck at least nine terror strongholds in Pakistan and PoK, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were gunned down by Lashkar-linked terrorists.
“Why did we strike at 1:30 at night? That is the darkest time, it would be the most difficult to get satellite images, photographs, and collect evidence. Yet, we struck at 1 or 1:30 at night,” CDS General Chauhan said at an event in Ranchi.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan says, “… On the 7th (of May), the terrorist targets we had chosen, we struck them between 1:00 and 1:30 at night… Why did we strike at 1:30 at night? That is the darkest time, it would be the most difficult to get satellite… pic.twitter.com/Rxtuubk8Kg– years (@ani) September 18, 2025
He stated that the decision to conduct airstrikes under the cover of night was driven by two main reasons. “First, we had confidence in our capabilities that even at night we would be able to get imagery. And the second important reason was that we wanted to avoid civilian casualties,” he said.
The Chief of Defence Staff said the best time to strike Pakistan would have been 5:30-6:00 am, but there would have been a lot of civilian movement due to morning prayers. “At that time, the first Azaan or the first prayer takes place, and in Bahawalpur and Muridke, there might be a lot of civilian movement at that time, so many civilians could have been killed… We wanted to avoid that, which is why we chose the time between 1:00 and 1:30 am,” he revealed.
Why May 7 For Operation Sindoor?
CDS General Chauhan further said the decision to strike terror camps in Pakistan was based on an analysis of the country’s flight activities after April 23. with forecasts predicting clear skies and minimal rainfall over the next 3–4 days in this period.
He also said the Navy was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and was able to use its weapons effectively during the military offensive. Unlike the Uri and Balakot strikes, Operation Sindoor involved a collective effort from all three arms of the Indian Armed Forces.
The CDS also detailed the use of loitering munitions and drones against Pakistan, saying India began acquiring these capabilities after the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “These weapons can strike effectively in a range of 30-40 km. We knew that Pakistan did not have the capabilities to down these weapons,” he added.
He also stressed that the political objective of any military mission was supreme. “There was a small concern that Bahawalpur was 120 km away. We had the capabilities to strike the area, but there was no guarantee as the ammunition takes around 20-30 minutes to reach the target. So, we used the Air Force again for 1-2 targets and they worked efficiently,” General Chauhan added.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
Ranchi, India, India
September 18, 2025, 21:21 is
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