India was minutes away from hitting Pak from sea during Op Sindoor: Navy chief

Chief of Navy Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, on Wednesday said that the Indian Navy was "minutes away" from hitting Pakistan from the sea during Operation Sindoor which took place last year in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

Speaking at a naval investiture ceremony in Mumbai, Tripathi said that the Navy decided to halt the maritime strike after Pakistan requested the Indian military to stop the days-long kinetic actions.

"It is not a hidden fact any more that we were just minutes away from striking Pakistan from the sea, when they requested a stoppage of kinetic actions," Admiral Tripathi said on the Navy's role in the operation.

Admiral Tripathi also said that the Indian forces had reached an advanced stage of readiness during Operation Sindoor before the pause in kinetic actions.

The remarks came as he presented Yudh Seva Medals to two senior naval officers for their roles in Operation Sindoor.

According to the Navy chief, the force's actions during the operation strengthened public confidence in its capabilities. He also pointed to a 17-hour overnight embarkation with the Prime Minister along the western seaboard as a showcase of India's maritime strength and operational depth.

"Besides Operation Sindoor and the relentless operational tempo through the year, we were also very proud to showcase the breadth and depth of our operational capabilities to the Prime Minister during a historic 17-hour overnight embarkation with the Indian Navy on the western seaboard," said Admiral Tripathi.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targetting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.

Even as US President Donald Trump repeatedly took credit for halting the conflict between the two countries, India has maintained that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was finalised through direct talks between the two sides' Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).

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