India Stood Ready for Ground Assault During Operation Sindoor, Army Chief Says

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said the Indian military carried out "major mobilisation" under Operation Sindoor and was fully prepared for a "ground offensive" if tensions with Pakistan had worsened. The comments point to advance planning by the armed forces as relations with Pakistan remain strained and security agencies watch the border situation closely.

General Upendra Dwivedi explained that contingency moves were activated during the four-day stand-off with Pakistan, when India launched strikes linked to Operation Sindoor. He said the mobilisation allowed forces to stay ready for any rapid shift on the Line of Control and the International Border, while political and diplomatic channels handled escalation risks.

Operation Sindoor: India’s response to Pahalgam terror attack

Operation Sindoor started in May 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. On 22 April 2025, at least 26 tourists were shot dead, marking the deadliest assault in the Kashmir valley since the 2019 Pulwama bombing. The incident reshaped India’s security posture in the region and triggered joint military action.

New Delhi held The Resistance Front responsible for the Pahalgam killings, calling it an offshoot of the Pakistan-based group Laskhar-e-Taiba. India said the network planned and executed the attack. The Resistance Front and Pakistan rejected the accusation, yet the Indian response moved ahead with cross-border military action targeting locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Operation Sindoor strikes and India-Pakistan stand-off

Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force conducted coordinated strikes on nine identified terror camps. These targets were spread across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The campaign led to a four-day stand-off between India and Pakistan, during which border regions experienced power cuts, air raid sirens and heightened military alert on both sides.

The Army chief confirmed that Operation Sindoor has not ended. At the annual press conference, General Upendra Dwivedi said the mission remains active and surveillance efforts continue. He described it as a long-running security effort triggered by the April 2025 attack, rather than a one-time set of limited strikes across the border.

Operation Sindoor and terror camps across the border

Speaking about the current security picture, General Upendra Dwivedi said, "As far as our eyes and ears are concerned, since Operation Sindoor is underway, they will remain fully alert. Under this, we have already put in place whatever actions are required from our side," indicating that intelligence gathering and response plans are still in force.

The Army chief gave an estimate of active terror camps still monitored by Indian agencies. "I would like to inform you that, based on the information we have, nearly eight camps are still active to our knowledge. Of these, around two are located opposite the International Border and six opposite the Line of Control," General Upendra Dwivedi said, noting that training or presence continues there.

Operation Sindoor, drone sightings and Kashmir security

General Upendra Dwivedi’s remarks followed several drone sightings along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Security forces have been tracking these movements as part of Operation Sindoor’s broader watch. The Army chief said the union territory’s situation is "sensitive but firmly under control", stressing that forces remain deployed to address infiltration or renewed terror activity.

On future responses, General Upendra Dwivedi warned that Indian forces will not ignore fresh threats from across the border. "If any such activity happens again, we will certainly carry out whatever action we intend to take," the Army chief stated, signalling that Operation Sindoor gives the military a ready framework for swift action against identified targets.

With Operation Sindoor declared "still underway", India continues to link its border posture to the Pahalgam attack and the wider threat from groups such as The Resistance Front and Laskhar-e-Taiba. General Upendra Dwivedi’s comments show that mobilisation plans, cross-service coordination and surveillance of at least eight active terror camps remain central to India’s current security strategy against Pakistan-based militancy.