- 5/19/2025
Days after Operation Sindoor showcased India's decisive action against terror infrastructure across the border in Pakistan and PoK, India Today's Gaurav Sawant spoke to the bravehearts who led India’s frontline action.
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00:00Music
00:12Gunshot
00:13Long Live India! Long Live India! Long Live India!
00:17Music
00:34At the international border as part of Operation Sindhu
00:38we are currently barely a couple of hundred metres away from the Pakistani position
00:43and that is why the army here is on a state of highest alertness
00:48Music
01:15So this anti-drone gun is also coming along
01:19Music
01:45One of the biggest stories of Operation Sindhu is victory on the back of Atmanirbhar Bharat
02:04A fact not many people know
02:06For example, this LSV or the Light Specialist Vehicle we are on is made in India
02:13and this according to the army is quite a game changer
02:16With these young Indian army major who brought down very effective fire on the Pakistani positions
02:23and destroyed a Pakistani post
02:25Major, describe to us your movement on the LSV
02:29During Operation Sindhu, this vehicle's limits were tested
02:34and amidst the heavy fire, this vehicle was able to bring troops, weapons, ammunition to the forward post
02:42and nothing happened to this vehicle and in that way this vehicle was a game changer on the battlefield
02:47And the best thing is one, it's made in India
02:50Two, very very powerful, I think 3800 horse power engine
02:54Yeah absolutely, the engine is very powerful
02:56Its armour is quite good, bullet doesn't penetrate through it
03:01and the shells, the splinters, they do nothing
03:05It has no effect on this vehicle
03:07During Operation Sindhu, how did you use this vehicle
03:10and specially in this area, this was one of the worst impacted areas along the international border
03:16Absolutely, this vehicle, as you can see the terrain, the terrain is quite undulating
03:21It is full of marshy land, you can see it's a desert kind of terrain
03:27and in this terrain, this kind of vehicle which requires heavy off-roading
03:32this vehicle proved to be a game changer
03:34and induction of troops, induction of ammunition was done on this vehicle
03:39and with the help of that we were able to bring down effective fire on the enemy
03:43and completely destroy enemy's forward posts
03:46This is capable of firing that Concorde missile
03:49Yeah, while we were moving from one place to another place
03:52and we were simultaneously utilising our anti-tank weapons from this vehicle also
03:57because of which the enemy's fire got silenced
04:01and we were able to effectively pin down the enemy
04:04and bring down heavy fire on the enemy
04:06The ingenuity of the Indian mind, the jugad when required
04:10This can be used to fly drones to keep an eye on the enemy
04:15It can be used to fire a missile, an anti-tank guided missile
04:19and what is very fascinating and we'll show you images
04:23how ATGM was shifted from one location to the other
04:27very close to the enemy, in the line of fire
04:30and you destroyed one of his biggest posts in this area
04:33where he was keeping an eye on you
04:35Yes, that post consisted of high resolution cameras
04:39the entire ISR grid was based on that post
04:42and with the help of ATGM missiles fired from this very vehicle
04:46we were able to destroy his complete ISR grid
04:49and completely blind him that night
04:52and because of which he was not able to bring down effective fire on us
04:56This vehicle is being used extensively
04:59to move men and material restock
05:03to be able to give him a bloody nose once again
05:06should it be required?
05:07Yes, Pakistanis as you can say
05:09they have utter disregard for the international border
05:12utter disdain for the international border
05:14and they were the first ones to open up unprovoked firing on us
05:19and then we gave them a befitting reply
05:21heavy volume of fire was brought on them
05:23and it forced him to vacate the post and run away
05:26Made in India weapons were the game changer in this battle
05:31because when you're fighting an adversary like Pakistan
05:34and there's another message here
05:36the message is also for the adversary on the north
05:40Made in India weapons that are battle tested
05:43Made in India weapons that have proven their capability in this conflict
05:48As part of Operation Sindoor, Indian forces are deployed
05:52not just along the line of control
05:54but also along the international border
05:57and we are at that very critical Jammu sector of the international border
06:03This is where Pakistan had opened up in a big way
06:07after India targeted 9 terror camps and headquarters
06:12including Muridke and Bahawalpur
06:14Pakistan retaliated by targeting civilian areas
06:19and then there was Lanka Dehen
06:22the burning of Lanka
06:24I want to take you back in India's civilizational history
06:28Remember Lord Hanuman had set Ravadki Lanka on fire
06:34These braves of the Rajput Regiment
06:48These are braves of the Rajput Regiment
06:50and their motto is
06:57and with me is the team leader of these braves
07:01Major, what was your task?
07:04What were you tasked to do that day?
07:06The task given to me by my commanding officer
07:08was to neutralize the 4th enemy post
07:12who had fired effectively on our civil areas
07:15and Indian Army post in Jammu sector
07:17In the Jammu sector usually the Pakistanis do not fire
07:22usually along the international border
07:25It's usually only along the line of control
07:28and during the ceasefire that also hadn't happened
07:31but this time Pakistan had escalated and how
07:34So you were tasked to take down those posts
07:37but was it a military post
07:39or was it also used from what I have learnt
07:42to send in terrorists and infiltrators
07:45Out of those 4 posts, 2 were the hybrid posts
07:48which were used as launch pads by terrorists
07:51to infiltrate into our country
07:53And how did you acquire the target?
07:56How did you destroy them? What can you tell us?
07:59We used both our direct and indirect weapons
08:02to neutralize and mix all those 4 posts of enemy with soil
08:06Which is exactly what even the Prime Minister had said
08:10We will kill the roots of terrorism
08:13and mix the soil of terrorism with soil
08:41Regulars? Irregulars?
08:43That we cannot ascertain
08:45but yes we were able to inflict these many casualties
09:10Kalu Chak is a military station
09:12when Pakistani terrorists targeted Indian families
09:15They attacked our parliament
09:17They repeatedly said Pakistani territory will not be used
09:20for terror against India
09:22But 26-11 Mumbai terror attacks
09:24Pulwama, Pehelgam, Pathankot, Nagrota
09:27There's a long list
09:29And the army, once the government decided
09:32that terror had to be destroyed at source
09:36These were the weapons that were used
09:39along with others
09:41not just to target Pakistani posts
09:44that aid and abet infiltration and terrorism here
09:47but also the headquarters of terror
09:50at Muridke, at Bahawalpur
09:52and Pakistan army
09:54whether it's Noor Khan or Jacobabad
09:56or Sargodha or Rahim Yar Khan
09:58from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir
10:01Skardu down to Sindh
10:04That's the way India responds to terror now
10:08The new normal
10:35This operation is very dangerous
10:37The bomb disposal squad of the army
10:41is taking this explosive
10:45to destroy it in the jungle
10:48which is called the unexploded ordnance
10:52controlled explosion
10:54A major of the army engineers
10:56was with me here
10:58We are near the international border
11:00What kind of explosive is this?
11:04This is an HE
11:06It's a round of 81mm mortar
11:08It was found near our village
11:10at 10 am
11:12when the villagers were going to work in the fields
11:15We were deployed there
11:17so we were informed
11:19The area was very close to the civilian area
11:22so we shifted it
11:24with our resources
11:26and brought it here
11:28We found one more shell
11:30a live shell
11:33This is very dangerous
11:35because unfortunately
11:37this mortar
11:39this bomb
11:41was planted by Pakistan
11:43It should have exploded
11:45but it got stuck in the fields
11:47and didn't explode
11:49But when the army took it out
11:51and brought it here
11:53and the bomb disposal squad
11:55is taking it
11:57can it explode anytime?
11:59It can explode anytime
12:01but the chances are low
12:03that it will explode
12:05so we use explosives
12:07to defuse it
12:09How dangerous is it?
12:11Just like you brought it
12:13with a sand bag
12:15so if it explodes?
12:17It is dangerous
12:19but we have taken precautions
12:21We put a layer of soil
12:23then a sand bag
12:25then the ordnance
12:27then the soil
12:29Now the army will explode it
12:31and we will show you
12:33how it will be destroyed
12:35with a controlled explosion
12:37and you have found many like this
12:39In the last 3 days
12:41we have found 35 UXOs
12:43which we have blasted
12:45This is our 36th and 37th
12:47number
12:4936th and 37th number
12:51We hope to find more
12:53After every operation
12:55it is done by our enemy
12:57We put UXOs
12:59and ordnance
13:01for which we recover a lot
13:03It is very common for us
13:05after every operation
13:07It is very dangerous
13:09so be careful
13:11This is the bank of Chenab river
13:13and the water is increasing
13:15and before the water
13:17increases in the river
13:19it is very necessary
13:21to destroy it
13:23Now we will see
13:25how it is surrounded
13:35As you can see
13:37near the water of Chenab river
13:39there is a live bomb
13:41and its fin is also with it
13:43What kind of explosion is this?
13:45This is 81mm mortar round
13:47When we get such a round
13:49we do digging on it
13:51We have to be careful
13:53While digging
13:55I saw that its fin is separated
13:57I will remove it
13:59and show you
14:01Is it safe to touch it like this?
14:03When I dug it
14:05I saw that its fin is separated
14:07If its fin is separated
14:09then we can remove it
14:11because fin works only to give trajectory
14:13There is no explosion in it
14:23As you can see
14:25there is a lot number
14:27P.O.F.
14:29Pakistan Ordnance Factory
14:31There is a lot number
14:33P.O.F.
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20:43India is a country of war, when we say, this is not just a word, you see with me, there is an officer of Army Signals, and we are at the international border at this time, and under Operation Sindoor, you were on the front lines, in the midst of that bombardment, what does that experience mean for you to take part in Operation Sindoor?
21:08I was very fortunate enough to witness this operation, complete operation, and being a
21:19signalers, we are deployed forward, completely with the collaboration and with the connection
21:25with the ground soldier, we are there, because communication is the vital bone of any battlefield
21:31and any operation, so we were deployed everywhere with full dedication and commitment, and we
21:41covered the live operation, along with that, all the communication aspects, whether it
21:47is GCP type, whether it is ground, aerial, or video, all those things, our soldiers, our
21:54soldiers, our soldiers, with their dedication and commitment, they completed it in a very
22:01simple manner.
22:02You see, the same helmet, the same bulletproof jacket, the same Sig Sauer rifle, and the
22:09same safety, on the front lines, and if we talk about signals, then in modern battle,
22:15and in modern battlefield, signals and communication is such an important aspect, that the message
22:21is to go from one place to another, the signal is to go from one place to another, coordinating
22:26between the bullets, and you kept doing this, and Operation Sindoor, the way those Pakistani
22:32terrorists destroyed the Sindoor of many Mangos, so there is a different meaning, that you
22:38were giving a message to those terrorists and those who gave them honey.
22:43Yes, yes, absolutely, because we all wait for this day, the preparation of our soldiers
22:49is for this day, so we did not have to step back in this, whether our Sindoor has gone
22:55or someone else's, we are all citizens of this country, we are moving forward together,
23:01so the feelings of their Sindoor, seeing those feelings, witnessing it, and participating
23:07in it, and participating with full dedication, for this, we feel very proud of ourselves,
23:15and it is for this country also, that today you gave me this opportunity, that we are
23:20deployed at this place, where we can see these things with our own eyes.
23:24You have another connection with an army, and that connection, your husband, he was also
23:31in the Indian Army, he was also in signals, and under Op Reino, in Arunachal Pradesh,
23:38he was martyred, did you, in spite of that, take part in the army, or join the family
23:45of the army, join the signals, how did you think about this?
23:50First of all, let me tell you, the place where he went, he himself was martyred in an electronic
23:55warfare operation, and today, we are a part of that battle, so we also feel very proud
24:02of it, and there was only one reason to join, that my husband was studying in a science
24:09school, and he was very very close to the signals and army, and I always felt that if
24:16I join army, he will be always close to me, and that was completely the emotional part,
24:21and second part, my son, I wanted to give him a live example of what his father was,
24:27because he himself wants to join army, and any defence forces, not the army, so if I
24:33would have been, I mean, the homemaker, maybe I won't be able to give that live example,
24:40and that was the foremost reason.
24:42At the international border, as part of Operation Sindoor, we are currently barely a couple
24:48of hundred metres away from the Pakistani position, and that is why the army here is
24:54on a state of highest alertness, no war, no peace, and that is why the army knows it cannot
25:02trust the adversary at all.
25:04We are right now at a mortar position, a mortar that actually rained hell on Pakistani positions
25:12where we are opposite from where we are right now, and with me are some of those infantry
25:19Sir, can you describe to me, what was it like on the day that Pakistan tried to target
25:24civilian areas and military installations here in Jammu?
25:27As we are very well aware about the Pahalgam attack, all the troops, they were filled with
25:33rage, and they wanted to do something for the country, that is when on 9th and 10th
25:38of May, we were given an opportunity to fire bombs at Pakistani posts.
25:43So, this mortar position opened up.
25:47How do you keep an eye on the adversary from here?
25:50Actually, we have got two plans.
25:52In the first plan, we fly a drone to observe where the mortar bombs land, and thereafter
25:59suitable correction is given by the officer, and as you can see on my left is my mortar
26:05position control, JCO, who gives the necessary corrections to the mortar tubes, and thereafter
26:11the target is neutralized effectively.
26:13How technology is used in today's day and age, this is how a drone sees the damage on
26:19the other side.
26:20So, you were watching on this screen, what was happening on the other side of the border?
26:25Yes, we were watching the target on their post, where the bomb was falling, where it
26:30was not falling, we were giving corrections to that.
26:32And to confirm this, we were confirming it with the OP officer, so that we could double
26:37check that our bomb was falling correctly.
26:39And the enemy did not have anything to jam you at that time?
26:42There was nothing to jam in that.
26:44And these drones, these mortars were firing at the enemy at high speed?
26:50Yes, very fast.
26:52That is, you will say that the title you have given, Lanka Dang, the same situation was
26:58there.
26:59Suppose it looks like someone has put petrol there and set it on fire.
27:04Can you tell us what was the target that you were attempting to acquire?
27:08See, as a backdrop to it, whatever happened on 22nd April and the retaliatory strikes
27:13which happened on 7th or 8th of May, everybody knows that.
27:16However, things changed when on 10th of May, the enemy opened fire, indiscriminate opened
27:21fire on unarmed and defenseless civilian inhabited areas.
27:25So, thereafter it was all go.
27:27That means enemy had to be punished very heavily and to the extent that they would have cursed
27:33their being in existence.
27:36We inflicted a firm and fierce retaliatory punitive strike via kinetic means and to that
27:43extent that everything was over over there.
27:45So, when my commanding officer, he told me in the form of our war cry, Dada Krishan ki
27:50Jai Karde.
27:51So, that was when the all bombs were dropped and it was all over on the target area.
27:57Yogeshwar Sri Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita tells Arjun,
28:10You take a firm resolve and you fight.
28:13Either ways, victory is yours because if you're killed in action, you go to heaven.
28:20If you win, then you rule over this earth as beautiful as heaven.
28:26That's the message that the Indian armed forces have also been able to deliver.
30:26The situation along the line of control and the international border in Jammu remains
30:52extremely precarious.
30:54There is a no war, no peace situation.
30:56Operation Sindhu is still on and you have the Jammu and Kashmir administration that
31:02has called on veterans and ex-soldiers to come forward to be a part of a volunteer force
31:09that will protect vital assets and vital points in Jammu and Kashmir as soldiers take on the
31:16adversaries, the radical Islamist terrorists and the Pakistan army backing them.
31:22Therefore, these are some of the soldiers who have lined up to protect the vital assets
31:27and vital points.
31:36There is tremendous enthusiasm.
31:38They may have superannuated.
31:41They may be in the autumn of their lives.
31:44They may be in the autumn of their lives, but their josh, their jazba, the spirit, it's
31:51a never say die spirit.
31:53And it's a spirit which says every Indian wants to contribute his or her bit in this
32:00war against Pakistan state sponsored terrorism.
32:04Operation Sindhu is the success story, not just of India's offensive capabilities, but
32:10also India's defensive capabilities.
32:13Not only was India successfully able to strike in the heart of Pakistan's military terror
32:20complex, whether it was taking out Mureed K or Bahawalpur terror training camps, launch
32:25pads and headquarters, but also targeting their military bases, Noor Khan, Jacobabad,
32:31Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha and so many others, 13 plus in all from POJK to Sindh.
32:37But the defensive capabilities equally important.
32:40Pakistan's attacks did not succeed.
32:42And because of the Braves with me here at one of the forward most locations at the international
32:49border, because it's not just at the line of control, even the international border,
32:54Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, he tried to send in his military hardware.
33:00What all did he send?
33:01How did you stop him?
33:02Yeah, absolutely.
33:03If you see and you have must you must have heard also that the swarm drones, they were
33:07right above us.
33:08They were moving around here and there from north to south, southeast to northwest.
33:12We have seen all all those things.
33:14We have witnessed everything.
33:15But we ensured by by the use of kinetic and non kinetic weapons, which we have so that
33:20the drones, they don't hit our critical assets and they don't make any damage.
33:25The motto of Army Air Defense is Akashi Shatru Na Jahi.
33:28And we have ensured that that not a single drone or UAV or fighter or any helicopter
33:34that can pass from this particular site.
33:37And you have multi tiered air defense system.
33:41How far could you see the enemy?
33:43And what were the means that you employed?
33:45I'm told both kinetic and non kinetic for the benefit of our viewers.
33:48Can you explain how is India's air defense system so good?
33:52Apart from, of course, your valor and the valor of these brave boys who are apparently
33:56on stand too, aren't they?
33:57If the enemy aircraft is flying and that is above 50 kilometers, I am able to see that
34:02and I was able to pick the tracks.
34:03I was able to tell my section to be on alert and we were totally alert that so that even
34:09if they come towards our range, we were totally alert to get them down.
34:12When infantry was carrying out their operations, even air force was carrying out their operations,
34:17we ensured one thing that nobody is going to disturb them by the sky.
34:20So we ensured that.
34:21So his drones didn't succeed.
34:23He fired a high speed missile that didn't succeed.
34:26He's, you know, swarm drones didn't succeed.
34:29Apparently, his aircraft also did not even dare to come close.
34:32Absolutely.
34:33And that credit has to be given to air force as well because they have also done their
34:37bit and it was an integrated kind of system.
34:40On a lighter note, I'd like to say we had made a Dravid kind of AD wall, if you see,
34:45so that none of the aircraft passes through the sector.
34:48How well put.
34:49It's the Dravid wall.
34:51You know, nothing could get past Rahul Dravid.
34:54Nothing could get past the Dravid kind of wall.
34:58And this is where the army, the navy and the air force, they came in together from your
35:04ZOO 23s to your L-70s to the Aakash to the Aakash Teer to the S-400.
35:10And keeping an eye from the sky were the AWACS and the P-8Is.
35:15Now that is the strength of the Indian armed forces.
35:18Such a privilege to meet you.
35:20Thank you very much for joining me here on India Today.