'They Didn’t Have Guts To Fire Back': Ops Sindoor Hero Recalls Fierce Combat With Pakistan As Nation Mourns One Year Since Pahalgam Attack

New Delhi: The heroes of Operation Sindoor shared an exclusive interaction with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, as the nation marked one year since the tragic Pahalgam attack, in which 26 innocent civilians were brutally killed by Islamist terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Major Aimson Inpiu, who was a company commander in the Line of Control (LoC) during Operation Sindoor, revealed not just the intensity of the military confrontation with Pakistan, but also the unbreakable morale of India’s soldiers.

Major Aimson Inpiu, who fired 130 grenades from automatic grenade launchers against enemy posts during the operation, recalled the war as it happened on the ground, at the infantry level. He revealed how soldiers engaged with the enemy at close quarters, often in life-or-death situations.

Recalling the scenario, Major Inpiu said, "So in our infantry level, in our company eyeball-to-eyeball level, we have been engaging from every direction, and every weapon has given a specific bunker. With a specific bunker, also a specific loophole."

Narrating the intense combat, Major Inpiu recalled that his neighbouring unit was just 70 meters away from Pakistani forces, adding that the opposing forces were close enough to see each other’s movements.

"I was firing from a distance of 1,050 metres...We could see every other action- what they were doing, every action was visible to us...At the same time, our own action was visible to them," he said, highlighting the intensity of the confrontation.

'They Didn't Have Guts To Fire Back'

Major Inpiu revealed that once Indian forces began their counterattack against Pakistani forces, the enemy was pushed onto the defensive- posts were set ablaze and opposing soldiers were forced into hiding.

"They started it, and when we started firing, they didn't even have the guts to fire back again," the Major said, adding, "When we retaliated...no single person moved out. They were just hiding....Their duty post fell down."

Speaking about the psychological dimension of the combat, Major Inpiu said that their morale was to just kill and take revenge at whatever chance they got.

“I cannot express it in words...You just have to take revenge and kill. If you get a chance, don’t let it go," he said.

Major Inpiu also spoke of troops eager to return from leave, voluntarily canceling time off to join the fight. He remembered how people were calling him saying, "Sir, call me back. Why aren't you calling me back? I have to go too...Sir, we can get a chance now. I am not going on leave. Cancel my leave."

One Year On, Pahalgam Attack Continues to Haunt the Nation

On April 22, 2025, terror struck Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam when Islamist terrorists asked people their religion, and killed them, resulting in the massacre of 26 innocent people, most of whom were tourists. To identify their religion, the terrorists asked the tourists to recite the kalmas.

The victims included newly-wed couples who were on their honeymoon.

Apart from the 25 tourists who were murdered, a local Muslim pony ride operator who tried to take a gun from the hands of a terrorist was also killed.

The attack sent shockwaves across the nation. One year on, the country is still haunted by the brutal massacre.

Priyadarshini Acharya, whose husband Prasanta Satpathy was among the victims, told ANI, "It's been almost a year. As they say, life goes on. But, not a single day has passed that I haven't remembered him. When he was here, life was different. The temporary job I had then, now it's become a necessity for me to survive and manage the household."

Sangeeta Ganbote, wife of the late Kaustubh Ganbote, lamented, "The attack in Pahalgam was very dangerous. I will not be able to forget it till my last breath. I am always in grief after my husband's death."

Operation Sindoor

In response to the horrific Pahalgam attack, India launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7, 2025, to destroy the terror bases behind the attack. The purpose of the operation was to punish the perpetrators and planners of the terrorist attack and to destroy terror infrastructure based in Pakistan.

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