India hit 9 terror targets, no damage to Indian structures: Doval

Chennai, Jul 11: India smashed nine terror targets with precision, crisscrossing Pakistan, under Operation Sindoor, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said here on Friday and dared the foreign media to show “even one image” of damage to any Indian structure, even a “glass pane having been broken”.

Speaking at the 62nd Convocation of IIT Madras, Doval also asserted that not a single intended target in Pakistan was missed during the May 7 military offensive, which was in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 persons dead.

“Mention of Sindoor was made here. We are really proud of how much indigenous content there was. We decided to have nine terrorist targets in the crisscross of Pakistan, it was not in the border areas. We missed none. We hit nowhere else except that. It was precise to the point where we knew who was where. The entire operation that started at 1.05 am took 23 minutes,” he said amid loud cheers from the gathering.

Criticising the foreign media, Doval, who specifically named the New York Times, said: “They (international media) wrote these things and put out things. The images only showed 13 air bases in Pakistan before and after May 10, whether it was in Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Chaklala or Rawalpindi,” but images only showed damage done by the Indian Air Force on Pakistan’s bases.

“You tell me one image or photograph which shows any damage to any Indian structure, even a glass pane having been broken,” he said.

Addressing the students, Doval also emphasised the link between technology and warfare and said the country should develop indigenous technology to meet its requirements.

Referring to the earlier speaker, Padma Vibhushan awardee and legendary danseuse Padma Subrahmanyam, who congratulated Doval for the success of Operation Sindoor, the NSA said, “I am really proud of it (Operation Sindoor). Much of it was driven by indigenous content.” “We are proud of it—that some of our best systems worked, whether it was BrahMos (missiles), the integrated air control and command system…or battlefield surveillance. We decided on nine terrorist targets, not in the border areas but in the crisscross of Pakistan, and we missed none,” he added.

Earlier, speaking at the convocation, Subrahmanyam said the historic victory of Operation Sindoor was a manifestation of adherence to the valour that the Bhagavad Gita preaches. “As a proud Indian, I have always offered my salutations to our jawans, who are our national guardian angels,” she said, congratulating Doval for his role in the operation.