Operation Sindoor: The Indian Embassy in Indonesia has issued a clarification following media reports that “mis-represented” comments made by India’s Defence Attaché to Indonesia, Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar, during a seminar on June 10 at Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma.
The embassy emphasised that Captain Kumar’s remarks were taken out of context and that his presentation was focused on highlighting India’s commitment to civilian supremacy in military governance and explaining the objectives of Operation Sindoor.
The embassy clarified that any references to neighbouring countries were made to illustrate structural contrasts and not to target or criticise specific nations.
“We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a Seminar. His remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a mis-representation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker. The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood. It was also explained that the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure and the Indian response was non-escalatory,” reads the Indian Embassy’s statement.
We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a Seminar.
— India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) June 29, 2025
His remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a mis-representation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker.
The presentation…
What Captain Kumar said on Operation Sindoor?
During his address, Captain Kumar also spoke about Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory air strike launched in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. He described the mission as a precise operation, modelled on the 2019 Balakot airstrike, aimed at neutralising terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while minimising collateral damage.
Crucially, he revealed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) did suffer losses during the initial phase of the operation. This, he explained, was due to strict constraints imposed by India’s political leadership, particularly the decision to avoid targeting Pakistani military installations or air defence systems. This marks the second confirmation of aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor, following an earlier statement by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, who had emphasised the importance of understanding the context behind the losses rather than their scale.
