Major General Sandeep S Sharda was among the four senior defence officials who addressed a press conference on 'Operation Sindoor' on Sunday. After briefing the media on 'Operation Sindoor', which was launched on May 7 to avenge the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, Major General Sandeep S Sharda began the Q&A session with some military humour.
While starting the session, he pointed to a journalist on the left side of the room and said, "I've got a lot of hands there. Let me start from the left. The left foot is always in front when we start marching, so here we have to start from the left."
The phrase came from a long-standing military tradition. In drills, soldiers always begin marching with the left foot to maintain rhythm and coordination.
The command "Forward, march" ensures troops step off in unison, reflecting the precision the armed forces pride themselves on.
Sunday's press conference, however, was far from light in content. The briefing in Delhi saw top officials, including Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, and Vice Admiral AN Pramod, disclosing important details of 'Operation Sindoor'.
The Indian armed forces targeted multiple terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Air Marshal Bharti said the Indian Air Force carried out precise strikes on nine identified targets. These included key airbases like Chaklala, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad.
"A decision was then taken to strike where it will hurt. A swift, coordinated, calibrated attack struck air bases, command centres, infrastructure across the entire western front, sending a clear message that aggression will not be tolerated," he said.
He revealed that the mission was designed to neutralise terror bases, and over 100 terrorists were killed. Throughout the operation, India focused on minimising collateral damage and targeting only terrorist infrastructure.
Lt Gen Ghai said that Pakistan lost 35-40 personnel in clashes along the Line of Control.
Pakistani drones tried to target Indian Air Force bases, but Indian air defences intercepted them. In retaliation, India destroyed a radar installation in Lahore, they revealed in the briefing.
Maj Gen Sharda, who also serves as the nodal officer for sending notices to digital platforms over defence-related violations, summed up the operation as a symbol of joint force capability and resolve.
