If Pakistan wants to exist geographically, must stop cross-border terrorism or India will not show restraint in 'Sindoor 2.0': Army Chief

Anupgarh (Rajasthan) [India], October 3 (ANI): Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Friday warned Pakistan that if it continues to sponsor terrorism, India will not show the same restraint in "Sindoor 2.0" as it did during Operation "Sindoor 1.0", and that Pakistan must change its ways if it "wants to exist geographically".
"India is fully prepared this time. We will not show the restraint we exhibited during Operation Sindoor 1.0. This time, the action will be such that perhaps Pakistan will have to think whether it wants to exist geographically. If Pakistan wants to continue with its position in geography, it should stop its state-sponsored terrorism," Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dwivedi said.
The Army issued the warning to Pakistan during his visit to forward areas, including the Bikaner Military Station, where he assessed troops' operational preparedness.

The Army Chief stated that the "motive" of his visit was to review the state of readiness of the troops for Operation Sindoor 2.0.
"The motive behind my visit here was to see our preparedness if Operation Sindoor 2.0 takes place... I am confident that if we get the chance, we are fully prepared... Whenever we get an opportunity, you would definitely head towards a positive result, and the results would be in our favour," he said.
General Dwivedi praised soldiers, saying the ongoing operation has become a part of their lives and will remain with them forever. Addressing troops, the COAS said, "For Operation Sindoor 1.0, Defence Minister told me especially that whenever I meet you, I should tell you that the entire credit for its success goes to all of you... Operation Sindoor 1.0 is linked to our lives in such a way that it will be with us for as long as we live... Whenever a woman applies sindoor on her forehead, she remembers the uniformed persons who are always guarding the borders of the country."
The Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack, following which terrorist infrastructure was struck in pre-dawn strikes across the length and breadth of Pakistan and also in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), as per a prior statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
This later led to a series of attacks and counterattacks across the entire western border. India conducted "high-impact" air operations on key Pakistani targets, including the Nur Khan Air Base and the Rahimyar Khan Air Base, with surgical precision.
Earlier in the day, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said that likely around 10 Pakistani fighter jets were destroyed during Operation Sindoor. According to the Air Force Chief, four to five jets, most likely F-16s, were destroyed on the ground as India peppered Pakistani airbases.
During the address, the Air Chief also stated that five more Pakistani fighter jets, which could be F-16s or the Chinese JF-17 "class" that form the backbone of the Pakistani Air Force, were shot down, by the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) S-400 "Sudarshan Chakra" defence system.
The CAS, during his address, also added that the IAF targeted several Pakistani airbases, damaging radars, command centres, runways, hangars, and a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
He added that a C-130 Hercules-class military transport aircraft on the ground and possibly an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) or a Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft in mid-air, which ACM Singh had previously also hailed as the "largest air kill", were also struck during the operation.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said, "...As far as Pakistan's losses are concerned... we have struck a large number of their airfields and we struck a large number of installations... Because of these strikes, radars at least four places, command and control centres at two places, runways of course damaged at two places, then three of their hangars in three different stations have been damaged... we have signs of one C-130 class of aircraft... and at least 4 to 5 fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, as that location housed F-16s under maintenance at the time."
"Along with that, one SAM system has been destroyed... We have clear evidence of one long-range strike, which I talked about more than 300 km, which happened to be either an AEW&C or a SIGINT aircraft. Along with that, five high-tech fighters between the F-16 and JF-17 class -- this is what our system tells us," Singh added.
Coming back to the Army Chief's visit to the forward areas, he interacted with senior military leadership, veterans, civil dignitaries, and soldiers, reiterating the Army's focus on modernisation, combat preparedness, strengthening technological capabilities, and operational excellence.
He also felicitated veterans Lt Col Hem Singh Shekhawat (Retd), Lt Col Birbal Bishnoi (Retd), Risaldar Bhanwar Singh (Retd), and Hav Nakat Singh (Retd) for their valuable contributions to nation-building, an official statement said.
He also interacted with all ranks, emphasising the rapidly evolving nature of warfare and the Army's commitment to integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and counter-UAS technologies across the operational spectrum to enhance adaptability and preparedness against emerging threats.
Addressing the formation, including veterans of Bikaner, the COAS commended the troops for their dedication, steadfast commitment to duty and effective multi-agency coordination while operating in the demanding desert and semi-desert terrain, the statement added.
He also highlighted the importance of technology absorption at all levels to sustain high operational readiness.
Further, as per the statement, the COAS also underscored that the current complex security environment demands seamless synergy between the Armed Forces, government agencies, industry, academia and society, adopting a Whole-of-Nation approach to defence preparedness. He also highlighted the significance of Military-Civil Fusion and lauded the contribution of veterans in strengthening India's defence preparedness and battlefield dominance. (ANI)