It is no doubt that India’s retaliatory strikes against terror hideouts in Pakistan and PoK were an immense success but what they also reveal about the empathetic nature of the Indian Armed Forces. They chose to strike down terrorist targets post-midnight, even though the best time would have been 6:00 am. But why?
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has revealed the calculated reasoning behind the timing of Operation Sindoor, the cross-border strike in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on May 7. Speaking at an event in Ranchi on Thursday (September 18, 2025), he said the mission was carried out between 1:00 and 1:30 am, a time carefully chosen for both strategic and humanitarian reasons.
Operation Sindoor: Why strike at 1:30 am?
General Chauhan explained that the decision to strike during the darkest hours of the night was deliberate. “That is the darkest time, it would be the most difficult to get satellite images, photographs, and collect evidence. Yet, we struck at 1 or 1:30 at night,” he said. He underlined that the forces had complete confidence in their operational capabilities.
Even at night, the CDS noted, the armed forces could capture high-quality imagery and conduct precise damage assessments. This confidence allowed the strike to be carried out without compromising on accuracy.
Civilians in mind when deciding Op Sindoor timing?
The more crucial factor behind the timing, General Chauhan noted, was the effort to minimize civilian harm. A dawn strike between 5:30 and 6:00 am would have coincided with the first azaan (morning prayer), when significant civilian movement was expected in Bahawalpur and Muridke, the terror hubs targeted in the operation.
“We wanted to avoid that,” he stressed.
The CDS’s rare disclosure offers a window into how India balances military precision with humanitarian considerations. Operation Sindoor was not just about striking terrorist strongholds deep inside hostile territory, it was also about ensuring ethical conduct in the face of high-risk counter-terror missions.