Overview

• Speaking to the Indian community in Morocco, the defence minister said future phases of Operation Sindoor could proceed if Pakistan-backed terrorism resumes, calling the current status a pause.
• He described the May strikes as deep, precision hits on terror launchpads inside Pakistani-held territory and stressed they were measured and non‑escalatory, avoiding civilian and military sites.
• Singh recounted that after the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, the armed forces declared readiness and received a free hand from the prime minister, with India later accepting a ceasefire at Islamabad’s request.
• He reiterated political messaging on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, asserting PoK would “be ours on its own” as discontent grows there.
• The visit, the first by an Indian defence minister to Morocco, included inaugurating Tata Advanced Systems’ WhAP 8x8 plant in Berrechid—touted as the first Indian defence factory in Africa—and plans for a defence cooperation MoU with Rabat.