Operation Sindoor: PM Modi to address nation tonight at 8 pm
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ANI photo.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation at 8 p.m. on Monday, with sources hinting that the focus of his speech will be on ‘Operation Sindoor,’ following a series of escalating military actions between India and Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting with top government officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, to review the situation. The meeting comes after India reiterated that ‘Operation Sindoor’ was a targeted response against terrorism and its supporting infrastructure, adding that Pakistan’s choice to side with terrorists instead of remaining neutral forced India into military retaliation.
“We have also reiterated that our fight was against terrorism and their support infrastructure and not with the Pakistan military. However, it is a pity that the Pakistani military chose to intervene and that, too, for terrorists, which compelled us to respond,” said Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, during a joint Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) press briefing.
Bharti clarified that India’s airstrikes on May 7 were focused exclusively on terrorist hideouts. However, Pakistan’s direct military support for the terrorists escalated the situation into an unavoidable confrontation.
The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi, also included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and all three service chiefs – General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka, and Research and Analysis Wing (R-&AW) chief Ravi Sinha were also in attendance.
This high-level meeting followed an agreement for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan two days earlier, brokered after Pakistan requested de-escalation following intense airstrikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) that destroyed 11 of its airbases.
On Sunday, PM Modi issued clear directives to the Armed Forces to respond with full force to cross-border firing and shelling, continuing the military momentum with a similar high-level meeting.
The tensions had initially flared after Pakistan-supported terrorists killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. India retaliated by launching airstrikes on nine terrorist bases in Pakistan on May 7, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 terrorists.
In response, Pakistan’s army launched drones and missiles targeting western India, which were successfully intercepted by the Indian armed forces. Following these drone raids, the IAF carried out a massive 90-minute operation, striking 11 vital airbases in Pakistan.
Faced with significant damage, Pakistan sought de-escalation, and, on the advice of the United States, India agreed to a ceasefire understanding on Saturday afternoon. The ceasefire took effect immediately, halting military actions after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Since the de-escalation, no adverse incidents have been reported along the Jammu and Kashmir border or in other western regions. Authorities have also decided to reopen 32 airports that were shut down for civil flight operations due to the heightened tensions.
With IANS inputs
