The Indian Embassy in Indonesia has clarified that recent remarks by Defence Attache Captain Shiv Kumar were quoted “out of context” and misrepresented in several media reports. The clarification comes amid a growing controversy surrounding Captain Kumar’s presentation on Operation Sindoor during a seminar at a university in Jakarta.
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Captain Kumar delivered his presentation on June 10 at a seminar titled “Analysis of the Pakistan-India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power.” In his speech, he explained that during the initial phase of Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force faced operational constraints. According to him, the political leadership had instructed the forces to avoid attacking Pakistani military installations and focus only on terrorist infrastructure. As a result, he stated, the IAF “lost some aircraft” early in the operation due to the limited scope of its engagement.
Indian Armed Forces Adjust Tactics Amid Operation Sindoor, Embassy Reaffirms Civilian Control and Non-Escalatory Stance
Captain Kumar further noted that after suffering those losses, the Indian Armed Forces altered their tactics. They began targeting enemy military installations, successfully suppressing and destroying enemy air defence systems. This tactical shift enabled Indian forces to conduct further strikes using surface-to-air and BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles with greater effectiveness.
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Following widespread coverage of the remarks, the Indian Embassy released a statement on social media platform X. It stated, “We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a seminar. The embassy emphasized that the Indian Armed Forces operate under civilian political leadership, unlike in some neighboring countries. It reiterated that Operation Sindoor aimed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and India’s response remained non-escalatory throughout the operation.