Goa, Aug. 10 -- Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has laid out the inside story of India's swift and decisive response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, disclosing that the armed forces were given a "free hand" within 24 hours.

Speaking on August 4, Gen. Dwivedi said a high-level meeting on April 23 saw Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declare "enough is enough." He added, "All three service chiefs were clear that action was necessary. The directive was simple: 'You decide what is to be done.' That kind of political clarity and confidence was unprecedented."

Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to Gen. Dwivedi, planning ...