Operation Sindoor: T-72s add heft to firepower along LoC

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: India deployed T-72 tanks along LoC in Akhnoor sector of J&K during Operation Sindoor , with armoured firepower, air defence precision, and artillery coordination delivering a strong response to Pakistan’s aggression. Operation also exposed serious lapses in Pakistan’s artillery training, with an unexploded shell found fitted with a plug instead of a fuse.

“T-72s are integral. Fitted with 125mm guns and missile capability up to 4,000m, they were moved in as part of joint force deployment,” a senior officer said Tuesday.

T-72s remain stationed along LoC alongside BMP-2 armoured vehicles to seal infiltration routes, underlining sustained readiness.

Army officers said the operation remains on hold, not “terminated or concluded”, with military action against Pakistan paused since May 10. Soldiers maintain 24x7 vigilance along LoC.

“If challenged again, we will respond not with words, but with fire and the nation’s resolve,” Poonch Brigade Commander Brig Mudit Mahajan said.

Air defence units neutralised multiple drone swarm threats, emerging as “the shining shield” of the operation. “Exceptional skill, resilience, and coordination ensured every aerial threat was intercepted,” said Brig Mahajan.

Indian precision firepower hit nine critical targets across LoC in PoK, neutralising six key terrorist camps opposite Poonch, Rajouri, and Akhnoor. “We struck with unmatched precision and purpose,” Brig Mahajan said.

In north Pir Panjal, Army reported zero casualties on Indian side while confirming 65 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory strikes. DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai had earlier estimated 35–40 Pakistani personnel killed between May 7 and 10 in LoC exchanges.

In north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Tangdhar sectors, Indian forces neutralised nine major terrorist hideouts, some deemed inaccessible. Top officials reported zero casualties on the Indian side. “We struck with unmatched precision,” Brig Mahajan said, stressing that Poonch Brigade was “not a part but the heart of Operation Sindoor”.

Air Marshal AK Bharti said IAF airstrikes across western sector crippled Pakistani airbases and military infrastructure. Targets included Chaklala, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad. “Aggression was met with calibrated and coordinated force,” he said.

During the offensive, Pakistani artillery’s poor training came into sharp focus. An unexploded 155mm shell discovered in Mendhar sector of Jammu region was found fitted with a plug instead of a fuse. “This is the most basic error,” said Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, defence spokesperson in Jammu.

“Fitting a fuse is basic training for gunners worldwide. This highlights shallow training standards and Pakistan’s hollow claims on global platforms,” he said.

Army’s bomb disposal teams, in coordination with J&K police, are conducting operations across Poonch, Krishna Ghati, and Mendhar to clear unexploded shells. “Operations follow strict safety protocols with minimal risk to civilian life and property,” Col Bartwal said.