Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, the commander of the Western Army, sent a harsh message to Pakistan on Tuesday, saying that India’s response to any future terrorist strike will be “deadlier and more powerful” than it has been in the past. During a press conference, Lt. Gen. Katiyar said that Pakistan does not have the resources to fight a traditional war with India, but it still supports terrorism and proxy warfare across the border as part of its long-standing policy of “bleeding India through a thousand cuts.”
“The action we take this time will be more deadly than before. It would be stronger. Yes, you are completely correct. Operation Sindoor 2.0 needs to be more deadly. Lt Gen Katiyar stated, “There is no doubt about it,” when asked if there will be a follow-up to Operation Sindoor, India’s military operation that started earlier this year in response to the Pahalgam terror incident.
Pakistan’s policy of provocation goes on
The commander of the Western Army said that even though Pakistan’s army was badly hurt during Operation Sindoor, it might try to strike Pahalgam-style again.
“It doesn’t have the ability to fight a war with us. They don’t want to go to war. He stated, “It does bad things because its policy is to ‘bleed India through a thousand cuts.'”
He said that India had damaged Pakistani installations and air bases during Operation Sindoor, which made it much harder for Pakistan to carry out cross-border attacks. But he did say that Pakistan’s activities were unpredictable and often meant to make Jammu and Kashmir less stable through proxy terror networks.
“We need to be ready. We are ready for anything. The Commander said again, “I am sure this time the action will be more deadly than in the past.”
The Army was ready for anything.
Earlier, Lt Gen Katiyar told former soldiers that Pakistan might try to assault again like it did in Pahalgam, but India’s military is ready to stop any such attempts.
“They don’t have the guts to meet us head-on. Pakistan will not give up on its plans. But the Indian Army is poised to stop it. We need help from the people, especially veterans, to do that. He remarked, “We hope that veterans will help us.”
Lt. Gen. Katiyar’s comments come at a time when India has made it clear that it will respond strongly to terrorism and will not tolerate any cross-border terrorist activity. His remarks are similar to what other high-ranking officials have said recently, including the Director General of Military Operations. They said that India’s military strategy has changed, and that terror attacks should be treated as acts of war that require strong, coordinated responses on all fronts.
Background: the Pahalgam Attack and Operation Sindoor
The Pahalgam terror incident in April 2025, which killed 26 civilians, led to a huge counter-operation by Indian forces in May called Operation Sindoor. The operation used coordinated precision strikes to hit militant facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Later, officials revealed that the Indian Navy had also sailed into the Arabian Sea in case Pakistan got worse and needed more military help. Pakistan called for an end to hostilities after four days of fierce exchanges, which brought the situation under control.
If Operation Sindoor 2.0 goes ahead, it will be a bigger and better version of the first one. It will use ground, air, and information warfare to take down terrorist networks and the governments that support them.
India’s message: No place for terror
Lt. Gen. Katiyar’s warning shows how India’s approach to fighting cross-border terrorism is changing. The warning is clear: if terrorists attack India again, the response will be quick, strong, and more deadly.