The Indian Armed Forces held a press briefing on Wednesday to share details of Operation Sindoor, the country’s most significant retaliatory strike since the Balakot airstrikes in 2019. The briefing was led by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force.

Speaking to the media, Colonel Qureshi said that Operation Sindoor was launched to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed 26 lives. She confirmed that nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir were successfully targeted and neutralised. Colonel Qureshi specified that the operation took place between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on Wednesday, describing it as a precision strike aimed at key terror infrastructure.

Who is Colonel Sofiya Qureshi?

Colonel Qureshi, a distinguished officer from the Army’s Corps of Signals, is no stranger to breaking barriers. In 2016, she became the first Indian woman to command a military contingent at an international exercise, leading the Indian team at ‘Exercise Force 18’, the country’s largest foreign-hosted military drill. She was also the only female commander among 18 participating nations.

Hailing from Gujarat, Colonel Qureshi holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry and comes from a military family. She is married to an officer in the Mechanised Infantry. Her international credentials include six years with UN Peacekeeping Operations, notably in Congo in 2006, where she monitored ceasefires and supported humanitarian missions.