TV
Hours after India launched one of its most significant cross-border counter-terror operations in recent years, former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane issued a brief but loaded message on social media that has set off speculation across strategic and political circles.
“Abhi picture baki hai…” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), hinting that India’s action may not be over yet.
The statement, loosely translated as “The story isn’t over yet,” has added a layer of intrigue to India’s latest military campaign, ‘Operation Sindoor’, which targeted terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam that had claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali citizen.
A Loaded Message From a Strategic Voice
Naravane, who served as India’s 28th Army Chief from 2019 to 2022, is known for his measured tone. His cryptic post is being interpreted by analysts as a strategic signal or a subtle warning for Pakistan.
The timing of his post is significant as it came just after the Indian Air Force executed Operation Sindoor, a series of coordinated precision strikes that hit nine terror-linked locations, reportedly eliminating 70 to 90 terrorists associated with banned groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen.
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India’s Response to Pahalgam: What Was Hit?
According to defence sources, the Indian Air Force used Rafale fighter jets armed with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs in the early hours of May 7. The strikes lasted about 25 minutes and were aimed strictly at nine non-military targets linked to terror operations — including launch pads, training camps, and radicalisation centres.
India described the operation as a “calibrated, focused and non-escalatory” response to the Pahalgam attack and also briefed major international players — including the US, UK, Russia and Saudi Arabia — before launching the operation.
