Monday, May 12, 2025 | 27 Pages | `5 & for State `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 187 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) OP SINDOOR | Delhi warns Islamabad, says 100 terrorists taken out, 35-40 Pak military men killed, 5 Indian soldiers martyred FIERCE REPLY IF TRUCE BREACHED FPJ Online NEW DELHI Operation Sindoor is still on, government sources said on Sunday as Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi gave full authority to the Army commanders for counter-action to any violation of the understanding reached between the Indian and Pakistani militaries. "Consequent to the ceasefire and airspace violations on the night of May 10-11, the Chief of Army Staff reviewed the security situation with the Army Commanders of the western borders," Lt General Rajiv Ghai, DGMO, said in a press conference on Sunday. He said 35-40 Pakistani military personnel were killed in the combat and New Delhi achieved its desired objectives and that Pakistan will have to pay a very heavy price if it resorts to any misadventure. Lt Gen Ghai said over 100 terrorists, including highvalue targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed, who were involved in the hijacking of IC 814 and the Pulwama blast, were eliminated during Operation Sindoor on May 7. At the media briefing, senior military officials of the Army, IAF and Navy provided details of Operation Sindoor, including how India repelled Pakistani attempts to target Indian military installations and civilian areas. DGMO Lt General Rajiv Ghai with Air Marshal AK Bharti, Vice Admiral AN Pramod and Major General SS Sharda in New Delhi on Sunday. –PTI Executed tasks with precision: IAF A ir Marshal AK Bharti said on Sunday that India definitely downed a few Pakistani planes but refused to hazard a guess on the numbers. "Their planes were prevented from coming inside our border. So we do not have the wreckage with us but definitely we have downed a few planes," he said. Asked about reports in the foreign media of losses of Indian fighter jets, Air Marshal Bharati said, "We are in a combat situation and losses are part of combat." "All I can say is that we have achieved Lt Gen Ghai also paid tribute to five Indian fallen heroes and civilians who "tragically lost their lives" during Operation Sindoor. "We have thus far exercised immense restraint and our actions have been focused, our objectives that we selected and all our pilots are back home," he said. He said that Operation Sindoor aimed to hit designated targets with precision, "not to count the body bags." "Whatever methods and whatever means we have chosen, it had the desired effects on the enemy targets. How many casualties? How many injuries? Our aim was not to inflict casualties, but in case there have been, it is for them to count. Our job is to hit the target, not to count the body bags," he said. measured and non-escalatory. However, any threat to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and safety of our citizens will be met with decisive force," he said. On losses to the Pakistani military, the DGMO said there A peaceful night in J&K FPJ Online SRINAGAR There was a semblance of normalcy in the Kashmir valley on Sunday as residents witnessed the first night in six days without the sound of aircraft, missiles and drones flying overhead. "There was no ceasefire violation reported from any sector along the Line of Control in Kashmir after 11 pm on Saturday," officials said here. But the authorities asked residents of border villages who were evacuated to safer places in view of cross-border shelling by Pakistan not to rush back home as they are yet to sanitise and clear the areas of any unexplored shells. "Do not return to frontline villages. Lives are at risk as unexplored munitions remain (scattered) after Pakistani shelling," said an advisory issued by the police in the Kashmir valley. Bomb disposal squads will be sent to the affected areas, it said. Shahjahan Dar, a resident of Rawalpora, said, "It has been a while since we slept well. We are thankful to the Almighty and everyone else who played a role in ending the war." A large number of people who had migrated from border areas to relatively safer areas, however, want to wait a couple of days before returning home. 4Contd on | Nation are reports of 35-40 fatalities. The DGMO said it was his Pakistani counterpart who made a call to him last afternoon, requesting a way out to stop the hostilities. 4Contd on | Nation Navy: Quick deployment, was ready to hit Karachi ANI NEW DELHI It’s normal life in Punjab Calm prevailed in Punjab, especially in the border areas, on Sunday, as authorities asked people to resume their normal activities. At around 8.30 am, the district administration in Amritsar asked people to resume their normal routine. The Jalandhar district administration also said there was nothing to worry about and work may resume as usual. "All is well here in Jalandhar. According to the information received, there is nothing to worry and work may resume as usual. See Nation Blackout remains in Raj Manish Godha Markets opened and restrictions were relaxed on the movement of the people in the border districts of Rajasthan on Sunday, although blackout will continue at some places. The Indian Railways have resumed the cancelled trains as well. The situation was relatively normal in the border areas of Bikaner as the restriction on movement in Khajuwala, Kolayat, Bajju and other areas was eased. See Nation Navy's operational edge at sea played a decisive role in Pakistan's "urgent request for ceasefire", Director General Naval Operations Vice Admiral AN Pramod said on Sunday. "Our forces remained forward deployed into the Northern Sea in a decisive and deterrent posture with full readiness and capacity to strike select targets, including Karachi, at a time of our choosing," he said. Explaining the Navy's role, Vice Admiral Pramod said the Navy's carrier battle groups, surface forces, submarines and aviation assets were deployed at sea with full combat readiness shortly after the Pahalgam attack. "We tested and refined tactics and procedures at sea during multiple weapon firings in the Arabian Sea within 96 hours of terrorist attack. The aim was to revalidate our crew, armaments, equipment and platform readiness to deliver various ordnance on selected targets precisely," he said while briefing reporters about Operation Sindoor. 4Contd on | Nation No more war: Pope’s peace call Agencies ROME Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said he was glad to hear of the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire and appealed to the world's major powers for "no more war". In his first Sunday message to crowds in St Peter's Square since his election as pontiff, he hoped negotiations would lead to a lasting accord between Delhi and Islamabad. He was quick to add: "But there are so many other conflicts in the world!" The new pope, elected on May 8, called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all Israeli hostages held by militant group Hamas. "No more war!" the pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in which some 60 million people were killed. Leo said today's world was living through "the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal," again repeating a phrase coined by Francis. Tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square and on the Via della Concili- azione leading to the Vatican broke into applause at the call for peace on what was a joyous occasion despite Leo's solemn message. The new pope said he carries in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine." He appealed for negotiations to reach an "authentic, just and lasting peace". The pope also said he was "profoundly saddened" by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.