India Avoided Namaz Hours To Strike On Terror Camps During Operation Sindoor: Army Chief

India’s Operation Sindoor was executed with both precision and carefully chosen timing, with the armed forces deliberately avoiding strikes during prayer hours, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said.

Speaking about the operation, Dwivedi noted that while the military had the flexibility to strike at any time, it consciously refrained from acting when individuals at the targeted locations might have been offering Namaz.

‘We Chose Timing With Sensitivity’

“When we were preparing to strike these targets, the timing could have been 2 o’clock, 4 o’clock, at any hour,” he said, explaining the operational window.

However, he added that restraint was exercised. “We ensured that we would not act at a time when people on the other side might be offering Namaz at the terrorist camps,” he said, summing up the approach with the phrase, “sabka malik ek hai.”

Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi:

“During Op Sindoor, we would not strike at a time when those on the other side were doing namaz prayers. Because sabka malik ek hain,”pic.twitter.com/PTn3pYoEVC

— WarMonitor (@WarMonitorINTL) April 10, 2026

Operation Followed Pahalgam Attack

The Army chief was referring to Operation Sindoor, launched in May last year after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

In response, Indian forces targeted terror launchpads across the Pakistan border and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan retaliated with drone incursions and shelling, though most drones were intercepted.

After days of escalation, both sides agreed to halt military actions across land, air and sea on May 10, 2025, following communication between their Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO).

‘A Turning Point in Modern Warfare’

Addressing the ‘Ran Samvad’ forum in Bengaluru, Dwivedi described Operation Sindoor as a “defining case study” in India’s evolving military strategy.

He highlighted its role in advancing domain jointness, while noting that further integration and fusion remain necessary.

The Army chief also underlined the significance of non-kinetic operations, revealing that around 15 per cent of the effort focused on countering disinformation.