New Delhi, May 12: India on Monday reiterated that Operation Sindoor was a targeted response against terrorism and its support infrastructure, lamenting that Pakistan chose to stand with terrorists rather than remain neutral, prompting a necessary 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 for terrorists, which compelled us to respond," said Director of Air Operations Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General Air Operations, during a joint DGMO press briefing.

He clarified that India's strikes on May 7 targeted only terrorist hideouts, but Pakistan's direct military support to the terrorists turned the situation into an avoidable confrontation.

"Whatever damage they suffered, they are solely responsible for it," Air Marshal Bharti said, asserting that India's defence systems "stood like a wall," preventing enemy breaches.

He highlighted the stellar performance of India's indigenous air defence ecosystem, especially the Akash missile system, in intercepting and neutralising threats.

"Waves of drones and unmanned combat aerial vehicles employed by Pakistan were thwarted by indigenously developed soft and hard kill counter-UAS systems," he added.

Officials also confirmed that Chinese and Turkish-made drones and PL-15 missiles were intercepted before breaching Indian airspace.

Lieutenant General Ghai shared video evidence of an Indian strike that created a crater at Pakistan's Noor Khan airbase, while affirming that all Indian airfields remain fully functional and operational.

The synergy across India's military services, the support of other security forces like the Border Security Force (BSF), and the backing of India's 140 crore citizens were described as the backbone of the country's robust response.

"Our battle-proven systems stood the test of time. The integrated, multi-layered air defence shield has become impregnable -- thanks to the budgetary and policy support provided by the government over the past decade," Air Marshal Bharti said.

He affirmed that India's focus remains firmly on combating terrorism, and that military action was forced upon the country only by Pakistan's decision to shield those responsible for cross-border terror.

(IANS)

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