Ex-CDS Anil Chauhan Reveals Key Operation Sindoor Decisions, Disputes Trump's Ceasefire Claim

Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has revealed several details about the strategic planning and execution of Operation Sindoor, offering insights into how Indian military commanders assessed targets, managed escalation and coordinated operations during the conflict with Pakistan. Speaking at the Vivekananda Centre in New Delhi, Chauhan said one of the central principles guiding India's strategy was to ensure that any escalation ended with India delivering the final strike rather than allowing Pakistan to dictate the closing phase of military action.

Chauhan said the Indian leadership had developed an escalation matrix that was intended to give commanders room to respond while maintaining control over the intensity and direction of operations. He recalled an instance when Pakistan indicated that it wanted to open communication at around 10 a.m., while the Indian Air Force chief asked whether a strike against Sargodha should still go ahead. According to Chauhan, he approved the action and also asked the Air Force to identify additional targets. Skardu was subsequently considered, but adverse weather conditions forced the military to shift to Bholari.

The former CDS also highlighted the role of improved battlefield awareness in India's ability to make operational decisions. He said information from the Army, Navy and Air Force was brought together into a common operational picture, allowing commanders to assess developments across different domains before taking decisions. Chauhan attributed India's performance partly to this stronger networked structure and said clear political direction also gave the armed forces greater freedom to plan and conduct operations. According to him, better access to information helped military leadership respond more effectively as the situation evolved.

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Chauhan also disputed claims that the United States under President Donald Trump had brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He said the decision was reached directly between the two countries' Directors General of Military Operations. According to his account, discussions continued before the ceasefire was finalised around 5 p.m., with no third party playing a role in the actual agreement. He also questioned how information about the impending ceasefire reached U.S. officials before the announcement was publicly made, saying he was confident that the information had not originated from the Indian side.

Another revelation concerned India's assessment of Pakistan's military intelligence during the operation. Chauhan said Pakistan's understanding of Indian naval movements was inaccurate, particularly regarding the location of an Indian carrier battle group. He claimed that Pakistani briefings had placed the group at locations that were later assessed by India to be between 100 and 300 nautical miles away from its actual position. Chauhan suggested that the discrepancy reflected weaknesses in Pakistan's situational awareness and intelligence picture during the operation.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. Indian forces carried out coordinated military action targeting what New Delhi described as terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Chauhan's latest remarks provide further details about the decision-making process behind the operation, including the selection and reassessment of targets, coordination among the three services, escalation management and the eventual ceasefire. His account also underlines the importance of intelligence, communications and political direction in shaping India's military response.

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