Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh on Friday disclosed that India not only encounters Pakistan, but also indirect aggression from China in Operation Sindoor, the military action initiated in May in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Lt Gen Singh described the conflict as a “one border, two adversaries” situation, where Pakistan served as the face of the conflict, but China’s backing was evident.
“Few lessons that I felt I needed to flag as regards ‘Operation Sindoor’. First, one border, two enemies. So we had Pakistan on one side. But the enemies were two, and if I were to say four, or three. So, the front face was Pakistan. We had China giving all possible aid,” he stated, as quoted by ANI.
China, Turkey Gave Military Assistance to Pakistan
The Army spokesperson indicated that China used the India-Pakistan conflict as a “live lab” to experiment and authenticate its weapon systems.
“If you go by statistics, in the past five years, 81 per cent of Pakistan’s military equipment that’s coming is all Chinese. So, it’s no wonder. Perhaps what he has seen is that he can test his weapons with respect to other weapon systems which are present there. It’s like a live lab which is accessible to it,” Lt Gen Singh added.
VIDEO | Delhi: Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) says, “Few lessons that I thought I must flag as far as ‘Operation Sindoor’ is concerned. Firstly, one border, two adversaries. Pakistan was a front face. We had… pic.twitter.com/n4qM1wbCkB
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He also disclosed that Turkey was instrumental in supporting Pakistan by supplying Bayraktar drones that had been employed in the short military showdown.
Need for Improved Air Defence
The Deputy Chief of Army Staff also pointed out the importance of ramping up India’s air defence capabilities in view of the changing threat matrix.
“Air Defence and how it worked out in the whole operation was significant. This time, our population hubs were not really targeted, but next time, we have to be ready for that. We have to have a strong air defence system,” he cautioned.
India’s Quick Response After Pahalgam Terror Attack
India had started Operation Sindoor on May 7, aiming at terror and military targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation resulted in a four-day military standoff, with fighter aircraft, drones, missiles, and heavy gunnery. The standoff came to an end on May 10 after both countries reached an agreement.
Lt Gen Singh also praised India’s military for conducting precision attacks on terror infrastructure.
