New Delhi: In a historic moment for the Indian Armed Forces, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force led the official briefing on Operation Sindoor, the country’s most significant retaliatory action since the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, reported the Financial Express.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Colonel Qureshi confirmed the successful neutralization of nine terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The precision strike, conducted between 1:05 am and 1:30 am, was launched in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed 26 lives. “This was a justice operation,” she affirmed, emphasizing the military’s commitment to national security and civilian protection.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who hails from Gujarat, is not new to breaking glass ceilings. A distinguished officer from the Corps of Signals, she made history in 2016 by becoming the first Indian woman to command a military contingent at an international exercise — leading the Indian delegation at ‘Exercise Force 18’ among 18 nations.
With a postgraduate degree in biochemistry, Colonel Qureshi comes from a family deeply rooted in military service. Her husband serves in the Mechanised Infantry, and her international experience includes six years in UN Peacekeeping Operations, notably in Congo in 2006, where she monitored ceasefires and assisted humanitarian efforts.
She has often encouraged women to join the forces, saying her UN posting was a “proud moment” and a reminder of what women in uniform can achieve. Former Army Commander Lt Gen Bipin Rawat had once noted that her selection was based solely on merit — a sentiment that continues to resonate.
The Qureshi household brimmed with pride as the nation watched Sofiya spearhead the media briefing on India’s decisive response.
Her father, Taj Mohammed Qureshi, expressed deep emotion:
“Our daughter has done a great thing for our country… Pakistan should be destroyed. My grandfather, my father, and I served in the army. Now she continues that legacy.”
Her mother, Halima Qureshi, reflected on the symbolic nature of the operation:
“We have avenged the sindoors of our sisters and mothers. Sofiya always wanted to wear the uniform like her father and grandfather.”
Her brother, Mohammed Sanjay Qureshi, called her his idol:
“We had been waiting for a long time for justice. But to see our own sister lead this moment — it’s more than we could’ve imagined.”
