Col. Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh steer Op Sindoor briefing
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In a landmark moment symbolising India's resolve against terrorism, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh addressed the media on Operation Sindoor, outlining India’s military response to the brutal April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The decision to have two accomplished women officers lead the briefing was not only symbolic but deeply significant—it conveyed a message of national unity, resilience, and respect for the victims’ widows.
The operation’s name, 'Sindoor'—referring to the red vermilion worn by married Hindu women—evokes the memory of the attack where terrorists selectively targeted and killed men, including those newly married, based on their religion.
Profiles of the Trailblazers
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, from the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals, is a distinguished officer with a career marked by groundbreaking achievements. At just 35, she has already created history by becoming the first woman to lead an Army contingent at a multinational military exercise—Exercise Force 18—held in Pune in March 2016. With participation from 18 countries, including major powers like the United States, China, Russia, and Japan, Qureshi stood out as the sole woman leader among the contingents.
A veteran in peacekeeping operations, she served as a military observer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Congo in 2006 and has remained actively involved in peacekeeping roles since 2010. Coming from a family with a strong military tradition—her grandfather served in the Indian Army, and she is married to an officer from the Mechanised Infantry—Colonel Qureshi is known for her quiet strength, professionalism, and pioneering spirit.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh realised her dream of joining the Air Force as a child. Her journey began with the National Cadet Corps (NCC), followed by an engineering degree, before earning her commission as a helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force. She became the first in her family to join the armed forces and was granted a permanent commission in the flying branch on December 18, 2019.
With over 2,500 flying hours, Wing Commander Singh has piloted Chetak and Cheetah helicopters in challenging regions such as Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. Notably, she led a critical high-altitude rescue mission in Arunachal Pradesh in November 2020. She also participated in a 2021 tri-services all-women mountaineering expedition to Mount Manirang (21,650 ft), earning commendation from the Chief of Air Staff.
Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back
The operation, which involved precision pre-dawn strikes coordinated by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, targeted nine terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). According to the Indian Army, the strikes aimed at locations from which recent attacks on Indian soil had been planned and executed.
Among the most significant targets were:
- Bahawalpur (JeM stronghold) and Muridke (Masjid wa Markaz Taiba), each with an estimated 25-30 terrorist casualties.
- Sarjal at Tehra Kalan, Markaz Abbas in Kotli, and Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
- Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and Shwawai Nalla camp in Muzaffarabad, associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
- Makaz Raheel Shahid in Kotli and Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot, training centres tied to Hizbul Mujahideen.
Officials estimate that between 80 and 90 terrorists were neutralised overall. Notably, four of the nine sites were within Pakistan’s borders, while the remaining five were in POK. No Pakistani military installations were targeted, though intelligence reports suggest ISI, SSG, and elements of the Pakistani Army had been involved in supporting the terror infrastructure.
In retaliation, Pakistani forces launched heavy cross-border shelling along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of three Indian civilians. Indian forces responded proportionately, and exchanges were ongoing at the time of reporting.
Pakistan claimed that eight of its civilians, including a child, were killed in the strikes and condemned the attack as a "blatant act of war."
Operation Sindoor marks a new chapter in India’s strategic and symbolic fight against terrorism, underlined by decisive military action and the unprecedented leadership of two extraordinary women officers.
