'Could continue to strike Pakistan, but wasn't our aim': Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Operation Sindoor

On Tuesday (August 26), Air Chief Marshal AP Singh spoke about Operation Sindoor and said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) could continue striking Pakistani bases, but did not, as the target was achieved. The day after the operation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had lauded the IAF for their grit and valour as they struck the terror infrastructure in 22 minutes.

Talking about the intervening night of May 9 and 10, he said, “That night, we were on a song. We could have continued to strike, but that was not our aim. Our objective was already achieved. It is very easy to say that. But why should you prolong a war which can be stopped after having achieved your objective. I think that is what is required."

Also read: Rajnath Singh Praises Indian Navy's Swift Action in Operation Sindoor

"We can't shy away from the fact that air power today has to be used offensively. It has to be used to get to a decision point. And whether it is a war of today or tomorrow, the relevance of air power will continue to grow. We need to look at leveraging technology to improve in our air and space domain," he added.

Air Chief Marshal Singh highlighted that technology played a vital role in the country's success. India launched Operation Sindoor after seeing Pakistan's inaction against the terrorist outfits operating on its soil. This response by New Delhi was triggered after the dastardly attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed 26 innocent lives. Right after the attack, The Resistant Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility. Days after the attack Pakistan's Defence Minister was also seen speaking to news outlet SkyNews, where he accepted the country's link to a terrorist organisation in the past. He had further accepted that they were doing the dirty job for the US.