Lt Gen Hooda EXCLUSIVE: Inside Operation Sindoor, Pakistan Lies & India’s New Doctrine

Asianet News English

Former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Dipendra Singh Hooda (Retd), mastermind behind the 2016 Uri surgical strikes, breaks down Operation Sindoor (2026). In this exclusive interview, he compares the operations, discusses India’s technological advances, tri-service coordination, Pakistan’s disinformation campaign, deepfakes, Rafale claims, and the new deterrence doctrine under PM Modi. Essential viewing for defence, geopolitics, and national security enthusiasts.   0:00 - Intro 0:36 - Lt Gen Hooda Exclusive Interview 1:40 - Scale & Scope: Much Larger Than 2016 2:40 - Precision Weapons: Spice, Scalp, Hammer, Excalibur 6:19 - Tri-Services Coordinations: Key Lesson 9:33 - Information Warfare = Key Ingredient of Modern Conflict 14:37 - Most Misleading Pakistani Claims 18:02 - Future Strategy: Sustained Multi-Domain Pressure  #Interview #LtGenHooda #OperationSindoor #SurgicalStrikes #IndianArmy #Defence #NationalSecurity #India   🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE  📰 Breaking news. ⚡Live updates. 🔍 Trusted stories — all in one app. Download the Asianet News App today 👇 🍎 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/asianet-news-official/id1093450032 🤖 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vserv.asianet&hl=en_IN  For More Updates:  Follow us on our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5Bq3yKwqSLSQTxam0r  English: https://newsable.asianetnews.com/  Hindi: https://hindi.asianetnews.com/  Malayalam: https://www.asianetnews.com/  Kannada: https://kannada.asianetnews.com/  Tamil: https://tamil.asianetnews.com/  Telugu: https://telugu.asianetnews.com/  Bengali: https://bangla.asianetnews.com/  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsianetNewsa...  Follow us on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AsianetNewsEN  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ann.newsable/  ➡ If you like our video, give us a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel to get the daily dosage of news, entertainment, sports, and more.

Transcript

00:00Umm

00:00we are

00:00I am

00:09I am

00:10I am

00:12I am

00:13I am

00:14I am

00:35Joining us today is Lieutenant General Dupendur Singh Huda,

00:39retired former Northern Commander of Army and also a man behind the URI 2016 surgical strikes.

00:47Today, he will share his sharp insights on Operation Sindhur,

00:51also the disinformation campaign that was led by Pakistan during post-Operation Sindhur

00:58and also India's strategic defense reset.

01:01Thank you so much, sir, for speaking with us today.

01:05Sir, before we begin with anything, you are someone who has been part of some important

01:13and big operations with regards to terrorism and Pakistan.

01:17For you and in your own experience, in your own view,

01:21what do you think is the biggest operational change between URI surgical strikes

01:27and Operation Sindhur for that matter?

01:32Look, although you said, you know, I was in charge of the surgical strikes,

01:35but let me honestly say Operation Sindhur was completely different in scale and scope.

01:43Much more, you know, much more expansive and larger operation than the 2016 surgical strikes.

01:50What we had done in 2016 was, we had attacked multiple terror launch pads,

01:57which were relatively close to the line of control,

02:00and they were all in park-occupied Kashmir.

02:03Kashmir.

02:05Operation Sindhur, again, there were multiple targets,

02:08but spread across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

02:12and also spread into Punjab.

02:15Punjab, as you know, Pakistan-Punjab is the political and economic heartland of Pakistan.

02:23Pakistan.

02:23And then, therefore, striking the headquarters of the two major terrorist groups,

02:30Lashkar and Doiba and Jayashir Mohambad,

02:33I think was a much, much stronger signal that was sent out by India

02:37as compared to the 2016 surgical strikes.

02:42So, like you just mentioned in our answer,

02:44that how different it was with regards to the kind of operation that was taking place

02:48as compared to URI surgical strikes.

02:522016 and 2026, they're years apart.

02:56Is it safe to say that Indian defense system has made such technological advances

03:04because how did India manage to carry out such precision strikes

03:08and was able to destroy the terror outfits well within Pakistan,

03:14like you just said, and also Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

03:17without any further or broader escalations?

03:22So, look, it's true.

03:24If you compare 2016 and 2026,

03:28in the past few years, India has acquired a large amount of precision weaponry,

03:36both in terms of, you know, air-launched systems.

03:40You have the SPICE, the SCALP, HAMMER,

03:44you know, which can hit targets with two to three meters of accuracy.

03:48On the ground also, we have acquired Excalibur ammunition for our artillery,

03:54which again lets you conduct very, very precise strikes.

03:59So, the idea in Operation Sindhuur was that

04:01while remaining on your side of the border

04:03without having to unnecessarily take the risk of crossing over,

04:07from your own side of the border,

04:09you had that capacity to hit

04:14very precisely whatever targets, you know, we had sort of decided on.

04:19So, you're also right about escalation

04:21because I think clearly

04:23after the first strikes went in on the terror camps,

04:27India very clearly said that,

04:28look, we have not hit any military targets.

04:31We've only hit terror targets.

04:33And I think that was a signal that,

04:34look, escalation is down in Pakistan's court.

04:39That if you escalate, then we will hit you harder.

04:42And that's exactly what happened.

04:43So, it did escalate

04:45after Pakistan launched drone strikes

04:48and some missile strikes.

04:50But I think from the Indian side,

04:52the idea was precise strikes on whatever targets we want

04:57while at the same time sort of controlling the escalation.

05:03So, if we go back to 2025,

05:06on 22nd April,

05:07we saw the Pahlkam terror attack,

05:10what really panned out.

05:11And right after that day,

05:13for a week,

05:14until the day Operation Sindhuur happened,

05:18number of high-level meetings took place

05:21here in the National Capital.

05:22For me, one of the very vivid memories

05:24is of April 29th.

05:27I was out of MHA,

05:29but there was this another very important meeting

05:31taking place at 7 LKM,

05:34wherein the Tri-Services chief

05:35were meeting the Prime Minister.

05:37And later that day, sir,

05:39there was this statement by the Prime Minister

05:41saying that he has given a free hand

05:43to the defence,

05:45all the three services chiefs,

05:47that whatever befitting reply

05:49they think is appropriate at this point,

05:51they can go ahead with that.

05:52Post that,

05:53we saw how Operation Sindhuur happened

05:55and how it demonstrated

05:56a coordinated effort

05:58by the Tri-Services chief

06:00in such a short,

06:02but yet a very intense conflict.

06:04What is the lesson

06:06that we take from this

06:08and how can we use this

06:09moving forward

06:10for future operations?

06:13Look, I think the key lesson,

06:14clearly, as you mentioned,

06:16is that, you know,

06:17the three services

06:18have to come together.

06:19Yeah.

06:20And there has to be

06:21Tri-Service coordination

06:22for any operation

06:23of this nature.

06:25And so we saw that

06:26while much of the focus

06:27is on the airstrikes,

06:29there were also ground operations

06:31going on

06:32across the line of control.

06:34The Navy had,

06:35you know,

06:36sailed out

06:36and were poised

06:37for

06:39any operation

06:39that they need

06:40to sort of undertake.

06:42I think the real

06:43question here is

06:45what is the form

06:47that this Tri-Service

06:47coordination should take?

06:50Yeah.

06:50And I raised this,

06:52I raised this issue

06:53because,

06:54you know,

06:55after Operation Sindhuur,

06:57there were some questions

06:58which were raised.

06:59So, for example,

07:00the Air Chief,

07:01you know,

07:02raised the issue of

07:04whether theatrization

07:05is the best model.

07:07Should we just have

07:08some coordination cell

07:10in Delhi

07:11which can manage

07:13this Tri-Service coordination?

07:15Other service chiefs

07:17disagreed

07:17and they said

07:18no, theatrization

07:18is important.

07:19So, I think

07:20what's important

07:23for us is

07:24that there'd be

07:25some consensus

07:25on this.

07:26And I think

07:27we are moving forward.

07:28So, we are seeing

07:28in the media,

07:29for example,

07:30that a proposal

07:30for theatrization

07:31has been sent

07:32by the CDS

07:33to the Raksha Mantri.

07:36So, hopefully,

07:37that will come about.

07:38But I think

07:39there is no doubt

07:40in the fact

07:41that

07:42the single service

07:43planning

07:44for operations

07:45is not the way

07:46to go in the future.

07:47The three services

07:48will have to come together

07:49and, you know,

07:50make common plans.

07:52Yes, given

07:53that over the years

07:54whenever

07:55any sort of operation

07:56has been taken,

07:58undertaken,

07:59this was the first time

08:00when we

08:00actually saw

08:01all three of them

08:02coming together.

08:03We had Navy

08:04on standby.

08:06We saw

08:06how our soldiers

08:07on foot,

08:08how they were

08:09performing

08:09at LAC,

08:10LOC.

08:11And we then

08:12have the air services

08:14also doing their job

08:15very perfectly.

08:16So, this is the first time

08:17that the coordination

08:19sit very well.

08:21Yeah, yeah.

08:21So, particularly

08:23for a limited operation.

08:24So, I won't say

08:24first time.

08:25I mean,

08:251971 war

08:26was also an example

08:27of the three services

08:29sort of working together.

08:30But I think

08:31what it indicates

08:32is that

08:34whenever the three services

08:35sit down,

08:36plan operations

08:37together,

08:37the effect

08:38is going to be

08:39much better

08:40and more sort of

08:41magnified.

08:44So, we

08:45did discuss,

08:46I did mention

08:47earlier that

08:47we'll also talk

08:48about the

08:49disinformation campaign

08:50undertaken by

08:51Pakistan,

08:52not just during

08:53Operation Sindhur,

08:54but post-Operation

08:55Sindhur as well.

08:56All of us

08:57who have covered

08:58war,

08:58everybody is well

09:00aware of this

09:00factor,

09:01psyops.

09:02However,

09:03what we saw

09:03during Operation

09:04Sindhur is

09:05Pakistan very

09:06aggressively

09:07indulging itself

09:09into disseminating

09:11false information.

09:12So,

09:14in your opinion,

09:15how has

09:15this narrative

09:16setting

09:18evolved

09:19since 2016

09:20to now 2025

09:21and now

09:22in the present

09:23day,

09:232026?

09:25So,

09:25Swamyah,

09:26what you are saying

09:27narrative building,

09:29typically in the

09:30military we term

09:30it as

09:31information warfare.

09:32Yeah.

09:34So,

09:34information warfare

09:36now is no longer

09:38a secondary aspect

09:39that, you know,

09:40fighting is main

09:41and information

09:42is secondary.

09:44It's become

09:44one of the key

09:46ingredients of

09:48conflicts

09:48and wars.

09:50And what we have

09:51seen over a period

09:51of time is that

09:52this information

09:53warfare has become

09:54more and more

09:55sophisticated.

09:57So,

09:58for example,

09:59social media

10:00algorithms

10:01have become

10:02much smarter.

10:03Yeah.

10:04They're able to

10:04send messages

10:05with much more

10:06targeted sort of

10:06precision.

10:07We're talking about

10:08artificial intelligence

10:09having come in.

10:11And so,

10:11you have deep

10:12fakes where it

10:12becomes extremely

10:13difficult to

10:14distinguish between

10:15what is true,

10:17what is fake.

10:20But I would

10:21say, you know,

10:21when we look at

10:22information warfare

10:23on additive

10:24building,

10:25we should not

10:26look merely

10:26and not look at

10:28it merely as

10:29something that,

10:29you know,

10:30as a military

10:31responsibility.

10:32It requires a

10:33whole of the

10:35nation approach.

10:37We know how,

10:39you know,

10:40messaging can

10:41impact societies,

10:43bring in divisions.

10:44You know,

10:44we talk about

10:45look to people

10:46who are

10:46neighbors living

10:48in alternative

10:49realities depending

10:50on what they're

10:51seeing on social

10:52media,

10:52what they're

10:53reading,

10:53what they're

10:54hearing.

10:56This idea of

10:57distinguishing what

10:58is true,

10:58what is false

10:59has become much

11:00more difficult.

11:01And which is why

11:02I say it requires

11:04a whole of

11:05nation approach

11:05where you need

11:07to, you know,

11:08build resilient

11:09societies.

11:09You need to

11:10teach people how

11:11to distinguish

11:11between fake

11:12news and

11:13correct news.

11:15We need to

11:15bring in

11:16sophisticated

11:16media personnel

11:17into the

11:18military,

11:19the information

11:19warfare campaign.

11:20So all this

11:21must sort of

11:22come together,

11:23you know,

11:24for a national

11:24approach.

11:26Sir,

11:27like you

11:28mentioned how

11:28messaging is

11:29very important

11:30when it comes

11:30to narrative

11:31building,

11:32especially when

11:33two nations

11:34are inching

11:35towards a

11:36war-like

11:36situation or

11:37for that

11:37matter

11:38conflict.

11:39Last year

11:40in July,

11:41first week

11:41of July,

11:42via a source

11:44I got access

11:44to a dossier

11:45which had

11:48all the

11:49information

11:49with regards

11:50to how

11:50there was

11:51this

11:51coordinated

11:51effort

11:52between

11:52Pakistan

11:53and China

11:54with regards

11:54to

11:55Rafale.

11:55If you

11:55remember

11:56on 7th

11:56of May,

11:57right after

11:58the operation,

11:58there was

11:59this claim

12:00by Pakistan

12:00that they

12:01have shot

12:02down five

12:02Indian

12:03aircrafts,

12:03three of

12:04them were

12:04Rafale.

12:05And later

12:07on that

12:07dossier goes

12:08on to explain

12:09how this was

12:10a coordinated

12:10effort and

12:11how influential

12:12people,

12:13journalists,

12:14think tanks

12:14from Pakistan

12:15were being

12:15used to

12:16peddle this

12:16news,

12:17similar with

12:18pro-China

12:18outlets as

12:19well.

12:19What do you

12:20have to say

12:20about that?

12:22So,

12:23absolutely

12:23what you're

12:23saying is

12:24correct.

12:25So,

12:25Pakistan's

12:26narrative

12:26basically was

12:27that,

12:29look,

12:29we are only

12:30being defensive,

12:32India has

12:32aggressively

12:33sort of

12:34attacked us

12:34and they

12:35are responsible

12:36for the

12:36conflict but

12:38we have

12:38managed to

12:39inflict such

12:41large

12:41casualties on

12:42them that

12:43actually we

12:44have come

12:44out on

12:44top.

12:45The other

12:46narrative of

12:47course as

12:47you said

12:48was an

12:49attempt to

12:49build up

12:51Chinese

12:52weapons and

12:53equipment.

12:54Yeah.

12:54That these

12:55are much

12:55better than

12:57the Western

12:58equipment and

12:59I think there

12:59was also an

13:00idea behind

13:01it that

13:03now Chinese

13:04weapons have

13:05been tested

13:05in combat

13:07and therefore

13:08these are the

13:09better ones

13:09that we need

13:10to buy.

13:10The reality

13:11of course we

13:11know is quite

13:12different.

13:12I mean the

13:13kind of

13:13damage that

13:14was caused

13:15by Indian

13:15strikes

13:16particularly on

13:16the last

13:17day where

13:18we attacked

13:19the whole

13:20length and

13:21breadth of

13:22Pakistan

13:23taking down

13:24their air

13:25bases.

13:26But again

13:27this shows

13:28the power

13:29of the

13:30narrative.

13:30If you ask

13:31somebody in

13:31Pakistan he'll

13:32say look we

13:32won.

13:33Of course

13:34yes I have

13:35spoken to

13:35journalists who

13:36have this

13:37kind of a

13:38view.

13:38That they

13:39have probably

13:39won this.

13:41Yeah and

13:41you know

13:42because of

13:42that when

13:44the army

13:45chief was

13:46promoted to

13:46field marshal.

13:48So again

13:48this is a

13:49sort of a

13:49reality of

13:51information

13:51warfare that

13:53even if you

13:54are losing

13:55you can

13:56somehow create

13:56an image of

13:57a victory.

13:59and so

14:00again I

14:01think the

14:02way we

14:02need to

14:03deal with

14:03it has

14:04to also

14:04be very

14:06sophisticated.

14:10Sir other

14:11than this

14:11Rafale

14:12situation you

14:14might have

14:14followed very

14:15closely what

14:16was happening

14:16last year.

14:17In your

14:17opinion what

14:18was one of

14:19the most

14:19misleading

14:20claims from

14:21Pakistan's

14:22end and how

14:23different it

14:23was from

14:24what was

14:25actually happening

14:26on the

14:26ground.

14:27So you

14:27see Pakistan

14:28was putting

14:29out claims

14:29that they

14:30have destroyed

14:30Abramos,

14:31they have

14:32hacked into

14:33our system,

14:34they have

14:35destroyed the

14:35S-400.

14:36I think the

14:37whole idea

14:38was because

14:39there people

14:39were seeing

14:40the destruction

14:41that is

14:41happening in

14:42Pakistan on

14:42the ground

14:43and so the

14:44idea was to

14:45sort of tell

14:45them that

14:46look equal

14:47amount of

14:48damage and

14:48destruction is

14:49being actually

14:50caused to

14:51Indian forces

14:51and so you

14:53found

14:55thousands of

14:55fake videos

14:56of damages

14:57that were

14:58doing the

14:59rounds on

15:00X and

15:01Facebook etc.

15:03Yeah.

15:04Sir,

15:05we wanted

15:07to discuss

15:08also about

15:08how there

15:10has been a

15:10strategic reset

15:12in the

15:13Indian defense

15:13system.

15:14Post-Operation

15:15Sindhuur,

15:16how do you

15:16think India

15:17has managed

15:18to reset

15:18its

15:19deterrence

15:20doctrine

15:21against

15:21Pakistan

15:22sponsored

15:23terrorism?

15:25Look, I

15:26think if

15:27you want to

15:28see the

15:29real sort

15:30of shape

15:30of the

15:31doctrinal

15:32reset, we

15:32just have

15:33to listen

15:34to Prime

15:35Minister Modi

15:35speech which

15:36he gave out

15:36after Operation

15:37Sindhuur.

15:38And he

15:39has laid

15:39down, you

15:40know, three

15:41very clear

15:41sort of red

15:42lines.

15:43The first

15:44is that any

15:45terror attack

15:46on India

15:47will meet a

15:48crushing

15:48response at a

15:49time of our

15:50own choosing.

15:52He also

15:53said that

15:54look, we

15:55are not

15:55going to

15:55submit to

15:56Pakistan

15:56nuclear

15:56blackmail.

15:58Every time

15:58anything happens

15:59Pakistan will

16:00sort of start

16:00waving the

16:01nuclear card.

16:02So we

16:03are not

16:03going to

16:03succumb to

16:04that.

16:04That was

16:04the second

16:05thing.

16:05And the

16:06third thing

16:06was that we

16:07don't

16:07distinguish

16:08between

16:09terror groups

16:10and their

16:10sponsors.

16:11And I

16:11think this

16:11is again

16:12a very

16:13critical

16:13sort of

16:15and powerful

16:16message that

16:17look, we

16:17know Pakistan

16:18army is

16:19behind this.

16:20So the

16:21next time

16:21it won't

16:21be that

16:22we are

16:22just going

16:22to hit

16:22terror

16:23camps,

16:23but we

16:24could also

16:24hit the

16:25sponsors.

16:27Also, I

16:28think another

16:30powerful message

16:31is the

16:32holding of

16:33the

16:33Indus

16:33Water

16:33Treaty

16:34in

16:34abeyance.

16:35Yeah.

16:35Because this

16:36has a

16:37long-term

16:38impact on

16:40Pakistan,

16:42agriculture,

16:43economy,

16:44etc.

16:45So I

16:46think this

16:47is a real

16:48doctrinal

16:49reset.

16:50Whether

16:51this will

16:51completely

16:52deter

16:52Pakistan,

16:53that they

16:54will stop

16:54using

16:55terrorism as

16:56an instrument

16:56of state

16:56policy,

16:57I think

16:57we have

16:57to watch

16:58and see.

17:01Because

17:01Pakistan

17:02military has

17:02used

17:04terror as

17:05an instrument

17:05of state

17:05policy,

17:07they have

17:07encouraged the

17:08growth of

17:08these terror

17:08groups.

17:09Can they

17:10immediately roll

17:11it back?

17:11Will they

17:12immediately roll

17:12it back?

17:13These are,

17:13I think,

17:13some questions

17:14that are

17:15still sort

17:16of up in

17:16the air.

17:18So my

17:18last question

17:19to you is

17:20looking forward,

17:21how do you

17:21think India

17:22should strategically

17:23work on

17:25these successes

17:25of Operation

17:27Sindhu that

17:28it can help

17:30India for

17:30future operations

17:31as well?

17:33See, I think

17:34what we need

17:35is a long-term

17:37sustained strategy.

17:40And when I

17:41talk about

17:41long-term

17:42sustained

17:42strategy,

17:43I don't

17:44mean a

17:44strategy that

17:45relies only

17:46on military

17:46action.

17:48Military

17:49action is

17:49important and

17:50that we

17:51have used

17:52it in the

17:52past.

17:53But there

17:54needs to be

17:54sustained

17:55pressure on

17:55Pakistan.

17:56That sustained

17:57pressure is

17:58one,

17:59military

17:59pressure,

18:01economic

18:01pressure,

18:03diplomatic

18:04pressure.

18:05How do

18:06we sort

18:07of show to

18:07the world

18:07that here

18:08is a state

18:09which is

18:09a sponsor

18:10of terrorism

18:13and therefore

18:14put sort

18:14of pressure.

18:16We earlier

18:17had pressure

18:18through the

18:18financial

18:18action

18:19task force

18:20that

18:21unfortunately

18:21has got

18:22removed.

18:22So can

18:23we sort

18:23of

18:25re-impose

18:26that,

18:26talk about

18:27that.

18:28I think

18:29the key

18:29point here

18:30is can

18:32Pakistan

18:32leadership

18:33be brought

18:33around to

18:34the view

18:35that Pakistan

18:36is better

18:37off not

18:37provoking

18:38India.

18:39Now,

18:40somebody might

18:40be cynical

18:41and say,

18:41look,

18:41this is not

18:42possible.

18:42They are

18:43what they

18:43are and

18:43therefore we

18:44cannot do.

18:45But I

18:46still think

18:48we can't

18:49say that

18:49diplomacy has

18:50no role to

18:51play in

18:52India-Pakistan

18:52relation.

18:53And diplomacy

18:54must be

18:55given some

18:56sort of

18:56chance.

18:56So I

18:58think a

18:58sustained

18:59pressure

18:59and

18:59multiple

19:00level

19:00is I

19:01think

19:01what

19:01will

19:02work

19:04much

19:04more than

19:05one

19:06military

19:06operation

19:07every

19:07four or

19:07five

19:07years.

19:10Thank you

19:10so much,

19:11sir,

19:11for your

19:11time and

19:12for such

19:13strong

19:13insights on

19:14everything in

19:15and around

19:16Operation Sindhuur

19:16and what's

19:17in future

19:18for India.

19:19Thank you so

19:20much for your

19:20time, sir.

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