From terrorism to tourism, UT sees shift
New Delhi: Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday said that local terrorist recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir has become “almost non-existent,” with only two cases reported in 2025.
He said that 65 per cent of the total terrorists eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in this past year were Pakistanis.
Army Chief said that 31 terrorists in total were eliminated by the Indian Armed Forces in 2025, out of which three were the perpetrators of the April 22 Pahalgam attack — a massacre by terrorists which claimed 26 innocent lives.
Addressing the annual press conference of the Indian Army here, Gen Dwivedi said, “In 2025, 31 terrorists were eliminated, of which 65 per cent were of Pakistani origin, including the three perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack neutralised in Operation Mahadev. Active local terrorists are now in single digits.”
He further mentioned that the terrorist recruitment is now “almost non-existent, with only two in 2025”.
The Army chief said that the situation along the northern and northwestern border remains “stable” and “under firm control”, but stressed the need for “constant vigil”.
He added that J&K has witnessed a significant positive change in 2025, noting that the “theme of terrorism to tourism is gradually taking shape” in the union territory.
Gen Dwivedi mentioned that the situation along the Northern Front “remains stable, but needs constant vigil”, adding that apex-level interactions, renewed contact, and confidence-building measures are contributing to the “gradual normalisation” of the situation that has also enabled grazing, hydrotherapy camps, and other activities along the Northern Borders.
“With our continued strategic orientation on this front, our deployment along the Line of Actual Control remains balanced and robust. Concurrently, capability development and infrastructure enhancement are progressing through a whole-of-government approach,” he added.
Speaking about the northwestern front, the Army chief recalled India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, saying that a “clear decision to respond decisively was taken at the highest level”.
“Operation Sindoor was conceptualised and executed with precision. Through 22 minutes of initiation on May 7 and an orchestration that lasted 88 hours up to May 10, the operation reset strategic assumptions by striking deep, dismantling terror infrastructure, and puncturing the longstanding nuclear rhetoric,” he said.
“The Army successfully destroyed seven out of the nine targets and thereafter played a pivotal role in ensuring a calibrated response to Pak actions,” he added.
The Army chief reiterated that Operation Sindoor remains ongoing, and a future misadventure will be resolutely responded to, while adding that the military action was “the best example of tri-services synergy under clear-cut political directive and full freedom to act or respond”. He also acknowledged the “proactive role” of all stakeholders involved in the operation.
Gen Dwivedi stated that since May 10, the situation along the northwestern front and J&K “remains sensitive but firmly under control”. Mentioning the “clear indicators of positive change in J&K”, he cited examples of robust development activity, the revival of tourism and the peaceful Shri Amarnath Yatra, which saw more than four lakh pilgrims, exceeding the five-year average.
The Army chief also said that there were no talks about nuclear warfare between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
“As far as nuclear rhetoric is concerned, I would like to clarify that there was no discussion on the nuclear issue in the DGMO talks. Whatever nuclear rhetoric was given by the politicians or the local public in Pakistan. I have no indication that anything of that sort came from the military,” he said.
Stressing the importance of conventional operations, Gen Dwivedi said that the scale of destruction caused in Pakistan due to India’s resolute action against terrorism was possible because the armed forces expanded the conventional space.
“When we talk about our role in this, and when we discuss what was said earlier, it was stated that the space for conventional operations is shrinking, and that we would go directly from sub-conventional to the nuclear domain. However, the action we took this time, especially keeping in mind the kind of firing that took place in Jammu and Kashmir, and the way we addressed it, and how we eliminated approximately 100 of their (Pakistan) personnel — all of it was possible because we expanded the conventional space,” he said.
“In those 88 hours, you saw that the army’s mobilisation to expand the conventional space was such that if Pakistan made any mistake, we were fully prepared to launch ground operations,” Gen Dwivedi added.
The Army chief said that eight terror camps, of which two are near the International Border (IB), and six across the Line of Control (LoC), are still active, and security forces are keeping a close watch on them.
“According to our information, eight terrorist camps are still active, two of which are in IB and six are across the LoC. We do believe that there is some kind of presence or training in these camps, and that is why we are keeping a close watch. In case similar action is enacted, we will definitely deal with it,” he said.
He also mentioned that the forward movements that took place during Operation Sindoor have been “gradually reduced” by both countries, but vigilance is being maintained.
“As far as our eyes and ears are concerned, because Operation Sindoor is still on, those eyes and ears will remain open. Under this, whatever action we have to take, we have already taken it forward,” he added.
