‘The Josh Was High, The Guns Were Ready’: BSF’s Neha Bhandari Recounts Fiery Night During Operation Sindoor

BSF Assistant Commander Neha Bhandari had led the fierce retaliation that eliminated 100 terrorists.

BSF IG (Jammu Frontier) Shashank Anand addresses a press conference in Jammu on Tuesday. DIG (RS Pura Sector) Chiter Pal and others also seen. (ANI photo)

Jammu: The International Border (IB) was tense; the night was long; but the josh (morale) was off the charts. Border Security Force (BSF) Assistant Commandant Neha Bhandari stood resolute and firm on the frontline – not as an observer but as a commanding officer.

“The josh was high...,” she said, while recalling the intensity and morale of soldiers during Operation Sindoor. The mission of her company was to stop all possible attempts of infiltration and hit back hard to secure the IB.

While commanding a forward post along the IB during India’s counter offensive of Pakistan’s aggression, she performed her duty well and ensured safety of her country’s territory.

“I was commanding a company deployed at the IB during Operation Sindoor at IB. We were tasked with foiling any infiltration attempt. We gave a fitting reply to Pakistan and fulfilled the responsibility were given,” said Bhandari.

Her team strongly responded to the Pakistani aggression by using high and flat trajectory weapons.

It was not only men this time. BSF women soldiers were in the thick of it. “They carried out their duties shoulder-to-shoulder,” she said.

With steel resolve, fire power and bunkers, the BSF held the line. Highlighting the preparedness of the force, Bhandari said that the BSF has well-fortified positions along the border to respond effectively to any threat.

BSF DIG (Sector Sunderbani) Virender Dutta too addressed the media at the Frontier Headquarters in Jammu today and revealed that his sector witnessed heaviest shelling on the intervening night of May 8-9 during the operation, but the BSF destroyed two prominent Pakistani launchpads.

“Without wasting time, we planned and destroyed the Luni launchpad in the night. The launch pad, which was being used by the Pakistan Army, has not been occupied for 20 days, which shows that it has been destroyed. Similarly, there is no movement in Luni as well,” he stated.

He said the Pakistani side used 120 heavy mortars, but the BSF retaliated and inflicted significant damage. To counter drone threats, he said, Air Defence (AD) guns were deployed and civilians were alerted to maintain safety.

“Ours was the only sector that led to heavy losses for them, and they used 120 heavy mortars, but we also replied accordingly. For drones, we placed the AD guns and also warned the people to stay safe,” he added.

Dutta also issued a strong warning, “If they (Pakistan) repeat this mistake again, then they will get beaten up even badly.”

BSF DIG SS Mand provided further details, adding that real-time intelligence was received about terrorist movements. The BSF responded by launching bomb attacks on launchpads and a cemetery used as a hideout.

“We got to know about the movement of the terrorists, we took a call and attacked with bombs. They had one launchpad, and we received real-time input about their location at a cemetery. We attacked there also,” he said.

Mand added that according to intercepted information, there were 7-12 casualties in the enemy camp, though confirmation is difficult due to restricted media access across the border.

BSF DIG, RS Pura Sector, Chiter Pal commented on the April 22 Pahalgam attack, where 26 civilians were killed, describing the resulting national mood as one of grief and determination.

“In Pahalgam, when the terrorists murdered our 26 innocent civilians, there was a feeling of sorrow and revenge in the nation. We received intelligence regarding Pakistan having an idea that such a revenge would be launched on our side, so they started moving the armed cars. But when Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, it was confirmed that they would also show some movement,” he said.

He added that firing began on May 9 in his sector, escalating gradually, but the BSF silenced all enemy posts with a trained and coordinated response.

“In my area, they fired on the night of May 9. First, they fired from limited posts, but slowly they opened fire on all the posts in my sector. Our troops were trained to retaliate against the firing, and their (Pakistan's) posts were silenced,” Pal noted.

Launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor has so far resulted in the elimination of more than 100 terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. The operation also involved India's strikes on 11 Pakistani airbases, damaging radar, communication and logistics infrastructure.

The Indian offensive was followed by cross-border shelling, drone threats and eventually a ceasefire understanding announced on May 10 between India and Pakistan.