MONDAY 12 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR RESOLUTE STANCE, STERN WARNING We have thus far exercised immense restraint, and our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory. However, any threat to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and safety of our citizens will be met with decisive force LT-GENERAL RAJIV GHAI DIRECTOR GENERAL OF MILITARY OPERATIONS Whatever methods and whatever means we have chosen, it had the desired effects on the enemy targets... Their planes were prevented from entering inside our border... Definitely, we have downed a few planes... All our pilots are back home. AIR MARSHAL AK BHARTI DIRECTOR GENERAL OF AIR OPERATIONS Pak warned of punitive response to escalation Chief of Army Staff gives complete authority to Army commanders for counter action to any violation of the understanding with the Pakistani military respond to these fiercely and punitively, if repeated tonight or later,” said the DGMO. Lt-Gen Ghai made it clear that India has put Pakistan “on notice” and made clear that any further provocation will be met with fierce retaliation. “We have been compelled to be in this situation and as you have seen, the armed forces of India, we are always prepared to face any eventuality...Whatever has to be done will be PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 11 MAY I ndia has warned Pakistan of a fierce and punitive action amidst the violation of the ceasefire agreement undertaken by both the countries on Saturday. The warning comes after Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement within a few hours of its announcement, on Saturday night. Addressing a joint services media briefing in the national capital today, Director General Military Operations (DGMO), Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai made it clear that they were expecting the Pakistani Army to violate the truce. Revealing the details of the ceasefire term negotiated with his counterpart on Saturday afternoon, Lt-Gen. Ghai said as the Indian military leadership was getting into a huddle to wargame the events of the previous night, he received a message on hotline from Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah asking if he was willing to talk. “Since our initial aim was to strike at terror camps and all our actions in the subsequent days were in response to the intrusions and violations by the PAF and Pak Army, it was decided that I would indeed speak with the Pak DGMO,” he said, adding the call was undertaken at 3:35 p.m. The agreement for termination of cross-border firing and air intrusions by either side from 5 p.m, on 10 May, came into effect following the Top: Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Vice Admiral A. N. Pramod, and Major General S. S. Sharda during a press briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' at National Media Center, in the capital on Sunday (PHOTO: SUBRATA DUTTA); Above left: Air Marshal AK Bharti shows images before and after an Indian missile strike at the Bahawalpur terror camp; Above right: DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai shows photographs of destroyed Pakistani drones (Photos: ANI) talks in which Maj-Gen. Abdullah proposed that both the countries cease hostilities. Stating that it was also decided between both the DGMOs to have another round of talks on 12 May, in order to discuss the modalities that would enable the longevity of this understanding, Lt-Gen. Ghai said: “However, disappointingly and should I add expectedly, it took only a couple of hours for the Pak Army to violate these arrange- ments by cross border and LoC firing followed by drone intrusions across the expanse of the Western Front, through last night and in the early hours of the morning today.” “These violations were responded to robustly and dealt with as they must be. We have earliertodaysentacrossahotline message to the Pak DGMO highlighting their violation of the Understanding between the DGsMO on 10 May and our firm and clear intent to done. I am not concerned about what Pakistan will do; I am only concerned about what we will do. We have a roadmap and a plan and we will follow it diligently...” Lt-Gen. Ghai’s statement comes after the Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi granted complete authority to the Army commanders for counter action. The decision was taken following a review meeting between the COAS and Army commanders today. India lost 5 personnel in Op Sindoor, all pilots involved in operation safe STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 MAY India lost five soldiers in Operation Sindoor, launched by India to avenge the deaths of 26 tourists in the brutal Pahalgam attack in April. Paying homage to the fallen soldiers, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai said they express solidarity with the families of the lost soldiers and their sacrifices shall always be remembered and spoken of in glowing terms by a grateful nation. The DGMO told a media briefing that more than 100 terrorists were killed, including high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Muddasir Ahmed, who were involved in the hijacking of IC 814 and the Pulwama blast, in the missile strikes across nine terror hubs. Scotching rumours about the capture of Indian Air Force pilots by Pakistan during the air strikes carried out as part of Operation Sindoor, Director General of Air Operations (DGAO) Air Marshal AK Bharti said that all Indian pilots are back home. The DGAO detailed the actions of the IAF carried out since the operation was launched on 7 May. He said that air strikes were conducted Indian Air Force personnel carry the body of IAF soldier Surendra Kumar, who died during an attack on Udhampur, during his funeral in Mahradasi village in Jhunjhunu on Sunday. n ANI at two terror hubs, Mudrike and Bhawalpur. “We have the capability to target every system at these bases and more. However, it was only a measured response to instill good wisdom to our adversary to refrain from further escalation. IAF's response was directed only at military installations, avoiding civilians and collateral damage," he said. Following Pakistan’s massive drone attack on Indian cities, including Srinagar and Naliya, on the night of 8-9 May, a decision was taken to strike where it would hurt the most. “Towards that in a swift, coordinated, calibrated attack, we struck its air bases, command centres, military infrastructure, air defence systems across the entire Western Front. The bases we struck included Chaklala, Rafiq, Rahim Yar Khan, sending a clear message that aggression will not be tolerated. This was followed by strikes at Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad," said the DGAO, adding that military installations and surveillance radar sites at Lahore and Gujranwala were also targeted. Asked whether Pakistani aircraft had been destroyed, the DGAO said they have achieved their objectives of decimating the terrorist camps, and the answer was a thumping Yes and the results are for the whole world to see. “Their planes were prevented from entering inside our border... Definitely, we have downed a few planes... Definitely, there are losses on their side which we have inflicted.” However, he refrained from answering if India too lost a few of its jets. “We are in a combat situation, there will be losses... question should be, have we achieved our objective, to target terror camps... All our pilots are back home,” he said. The DGMO said that the Pakistani Army has been reported to have lost approximately 35-40 personnel to artillery and small arms fire on the Line of Control between 7-10 May 2025. Vice Admiral A N Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations, said the Indian Navy was fully prepared within 96 hours of the terror attack to execute strikes against Pakistan’s military installations. He said that naval forces were “ready to target locations at sea and on land, including Karachi Port,” but awaited government directives. Multiple weapon drills were conducted in the Arabian Sea to validate operational effectiveness and enhance strike precision. Pakistan’s naval forces, restricted to defensive positions near the coastline and were closely monitored, the senior navy officer said. X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875