Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi
JAISALMER: Pakistan must stop supporting terrorism if it wants to “remain on the world map”, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi declared Friday, warning that India will not show the restraint it exercised during Operation Sindoor.Dwivedi’s address to soldiers near the Pakistan border in Anupgarh of Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district followed a visit to nearby Ghadsana, located directly opposite Pakistan’s Bahawalpur region where military facilities were targeted during Operation Sindoor, launched after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.“Had India not unearthed this evidence (of involvement in the Pahalgam strike), Pakistan would have hidden all of it,” Dwivedi said.Over 100 Pak soldiers killed in Op Sindoor: Army chiefThe Army chief pointed out that nine terrorist facilities located in Pakistan were destroyed during the operation, resulting in more than 100 Pakistani soldiers and numerous terrorists being killed, and warned that “further provocations would not go unanswered”.Dwivedi emphasised the precision of Indian strikes and focus on minimising civilian casualties. “India took care to avoid civilian casualties and only targeted terrorist hideouts, training centres and masterminds.” The Army chief called for heightened readiness and vigilance among Indian soldiers to counter the cross-border terror threat. “Keep yourselves fully prepared now… if God wants, the opportunity will come soon.”Dwivedi also highlighted the importance of modernisation and technological advancement of our forces, stressing the Army’s commitment to incorporating cutting-edge technology, including unmanned aerial systems and counter-capabilities.Dwivedi honoured three personnel in Sriganganagar for “exemplary contributions” during Op Sindoor—Commandant Prabhakar Singh, Major Ritesh Kumar and Havildar Mohit Gaira. He also visited forward areas, including Bikaner military station, to review operational preparedness and met local communities near the border, calling them “not ordinary civilians but soldiers”.
