After the success of Operation Sindoor, Indian Army's in-charge of air defence Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha revealed that during the Op Sindoor the Golden Temple management allowed the Indian Army to deploy air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan.
Lt General D'Cunha informed that the Golden Temple's lights were switched off for the first time in history to facilitate better detection and engagement of enemy drones, which helped the Indian defence forces spot and engage enemy drones more clearly.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, Director General, Army Air Defence, said, "Fortunately, we visualised what they (Pakistan) were capable of doing. Realising that they would target it because they had no legitimate targets across the border. They were more interested in creating confusion, chaos internally, and hence, we visualised that they would target our civil population and our religious places of worship."
The successful neutralisation of drones at the Golden Temple demonstrates India's growing capabilities in countering emerging threats and protecting sensitive locations.
"It was very nice that the Head Granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our guns. It is possibly for the first time in many years that they switched off the Golden Temple lights so that we could see the drone coming," Lt General D'Cunha added.
The Director General said the unprecedented cooperation from the Golden Temple authorities came after they were briefed on the gravity of the threat, following which Indian Army guns were deployed.
He said, "The Golden Temple hierarchy realised there was possibly a threat when it was explained to them. They allowed us to deploy guns to secure and protect the monument of international fame which is visited by hundreds and thousands of people every day. Hence, these guns were deployed, and the golden temple lights were switched off so that we could clearly visualise the drones as they were coming in. That gave us a greater clarity in the sky because as and when you saw the light, you knew what to engage."
The Indian Army's Operation Sindoor showcased its preparedness in countering drone threats, particularly in protecting sensitive locations like the Golden Temple.
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