'Save your lives first': When Pakistan army commander abandoned post during Operation Sindoor

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army’s precision strikes during Operation Sindoor not only dismantled terror infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) but also triggered widespread panic within the Pakistan army, with intercepted communications revealing that senior officers abandoned their posts mid-conflict.

According to Indian Army sources, a commander from Pakistan’s 75th Infantry Brigade, stationed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), refused to return during the height of the offensive, news agency IANS reported.

When junior officers contacted him about reopening operations, he chillingly responded: "The office will open later, save your lives first."

Intercepted radio chatter further revealed the commander had taken refuge in a mosque.

"Our commander sahab escaped with great difficulty. He’s offering namaz in a mosque. He’s sent his men here and said he will return only when things calm down," a junior officer was heard saying.

While India’s Operation Sindoor focused on terror hubs, Pakistani retaliation included shelling civilian areas, leading to further strikes targeting Pakistani military posts involved in the attacks.

Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack , in which 26 tourists were brutally murdered by Pakistan-backed terrorists.