New Delhi: Vice-Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari on Saturday said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) fired fewer than 50 precision weapons during ‘Operation Sindoor,’ a decisive campaign that forced Pakistan to request for a ceasefire after four days of intense hostilities.
Speaking at the Defence Summit organised by national television channel, Tiwari described the operation as a significant accomplishment, noting that the IAF’s careful selection of targets and precision strikes ensured both effectiveness and restraint. “From the list of options presented, we had a large number of target sets. And finally, we boiled down to nine. The key takeaway is that in less than 50 weapons, we were able to achieve conflict elimination,” he said.
He said that while it is easy to initiate conflict, ending it requires clarity of objectives and careful execution. “This was a crucial factor to consider when activating and deploying our forces, ensuring they were prepared for anything that might happen,” he added.
Pertinently, ‘Operation Sindoor’ was launched on May 7, to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead. In the opening phase, Indian armed forces struck nine terror facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The precision strikes killed over 100 militants, including 10 relatives of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and four of his close aides.
Air Marshal Tiwari credited India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) for playing a central role in both offensive and defensive operations. The system, he said, enabled India to absorb Pakistan’s initial response and deliver a “hard-hitting reply” that pushed Islamabad to seek de-escalation.
He said New Delhi’s instructions to the armed forces followed three principles: actions had to be clearly punitive, deter future attacks, and allow the military full freedom while preparing for possible escalation.
The four-day conflict, involving air strikes, artillery, and missiles, ended on May 10 when Pakistan agreed to ceasefire talks
