On May 29, 2026, Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh released a commemorative volume on Operation Sindoor, a compilation of personal accounts from 100 officers, sailors, airmen and other servicemen who participated in the operation. In a post, the Defence Minister described the publication as a tribute to those who carried out the operation, connecting with the dedication and courage of the soldiers.”Citizens should take inspiration from this book and become citizens who are worthy of the heavy price paid to ensure the security of the country and maintain its sovereignty,” he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh described Operation Sindoor as an unprecedented success, in which India forced Pakistan to ceasefire within four days. He wrote that it was different from any war India had ever fought, and that this commemorative publication goes beyond historical accounts to include the personal experiences of the brave soldiers. He said it also provides insight into the human dimension of modern warfare, where leadership, courage, decision-making under pressure and commitment transform strategy into success.
This book deliberately departs from the conventions of official military history writing. Most accounts of the war prioritize the perspectives of headquarters and the operations room, where commanders’ decisions are recorded, analyzed, and debated. Yet, the true nature of the war, as it was actually lived – by the soldier targeting enemy bunkers on the Line of Control, by the air defence operator tracking and neutralising an incoming drone, by the pilot in the cockpit at the moment of weapon discharge and by the sailor at action stations as the fleet moved to higher positions – is almost always lost.
This book attempts to recapture that image. It includes accounts from the three services as well as Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff, and includes accounts from the fighter pilots, naval patrolmen, surface-to-air missile crews, Special Forces operators, signallers, logistics personnel, medical officers, and personnel from joint and integrated organisations who put this operation together.
The publication was released during a ceremony held in New Delhi, attended by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
The book has been compiled under the guidance of the CDS. It incorporates personal experiences from the Directorate General of Strategic Communications, the Media and Public Information Cell, and the Directorate of Media and Public Relations, while publication support was provided by the United Service Institution of India. (PIB)
