'Pakistan army commander was hiding in mosque ...': Army officials recall intercepted call from PoK amid Op Sindoor strikes

Army officials have revealed details of the intense 25 minutes when India targeted nine terror sites during Operation Sindoor on May 7, including an intercepted communication from a Pakistani army commander.

Speaking to PTI, an Army official said that India's coordinate strikes near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were so intense that the commander of PoK’s 75th Infantry Brigade urged his troops to save their lives over protecting assets.

Muzaffarabad is one of the locations targeted by India during Operation Sindoor.

"Intercepted communication revealed how a Pakistan army commander, hiding inside a mosque, was instructing troops to save lives first. One message was 'save lives first, offices can reopen later',” a senior Chinar Corps official told PTI.

India had struck terror camps in Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor, killing at least 100 terrorists in the strikes. The government made it clear that it only targeted known terror sites belonging to outfits like Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and did not attack any civilian areas.

Another top Chinar Corps official said that the Army's message to Pakistan during the consequent military escalation was very clear. "Our retaliation follows a 1:3 ratio, meaning the Indian Army will strike three times as hard for every Pakistani ceasefire violation."

Indian Army officials also told PTI that the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army destroyed all military infrastructure at Leepa Valley in PoK during the military conflict with Pakistan.

"We completely destroyed at least three posts, an ammunition depot, fuel storage facility, and gunnery, among other targets. Our retaliation was so devastating that it will take Pakistan at least 8-12 months to rebuild, possibly longer,” a senior Indian Army official told PTI.

During the four-day military action, which ended in a fragile ceasefire understanding, India inflicted heavy damage on several Pakistan air bases and managed to successfully thwart drones and missiles from the neighbour with the help of its state-of-the-art air defence systems.

(With inputs from PTI)