Lt Gen Rahul R Singh Reveals Real-Time Intelligence Sharing and Foreign Support for India’s Adversaries
New Delhi: In a strong message highlighting the challenges India faced during Operation Sindoor, top Army officer Lt General Rahul R Singh revealed that China and Turkey supported Pakistan, with Beijing providing real-time intelligence inputs during the four-day conflict in May.
Lt General Singh, who serves as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development & Sustenance), was speaking at a defence event organized by FICCI in Delhi.
“Pakistan Was at the Front, China at Its Back”
Lt Gen Singh disclosed that Pakistan received live operational data about India’s key military deployments from China, suggesting deep coordination between the two nations.
“Pakistan was at the front. China was providing all possible support,” he said.
“Pakistan was actually saying in DGMO talks that we know your important vector is primed. They were getting this input from China.”
He emphasized that during Operation Sindoor, India was not dealing with just one or two adversaries—but three.
Apart from Pakistan and China, Turkey also played a role, Singh said.
“Turkey also played an important role in providing the type of support it did.”
China Turning Pakistan Into a Testing Ground
The general noted that over the last five years, 81% of Pakistan’s military equipment has come from China.
He described this as a strategy by Beijing to turn Pakistan into a live testing ground for Chinese weapons.
“Pakistan has become a lab for China. They get to test their systems in a real environment.”
He referenced China’s ancient military strategy text, The Thirty-Six Stratagems, calling Beijing the “good old victim” that prefers to “kill with a borrowed knife”.
“China would rather use its neighbour to cause pain, instead of getting directly involved,” he said, referring to China’s indirect role in the conflict.
Turkey’s Strong Support for Pakistan
Lt Gen Singh also flagged Turkey’s role, citing its continued vocal support for Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
Following the operation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The leaders discussed deeper cooperation in intelligence and counter-terrorism, showing Ankara’s active alignment with Islamabad.
“Turkey has repeatedly supported its ‘brother’ Pakistan,” Lt Gen Singh said.
Background: What Sparked Operation Sindoor
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, in response to a brutal terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, killed 26 people, most of them tourists. A local Kashmiri man who defended the tourists was also killed.
In retaliation, India carried out precision strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation lasted four days and resulted in the neutralisation of over 100 terrorists.
Fierce Drone Attacks, Civilian Casualties
During the conflict, Pakistan launched drone attacks across Indian border states. The brunt was felt in Jammu & Kashmir, particularly in Poonch and Rajouri, and also parts of Punjab.
More than 10 Indian civilians lost their lives during the attacks.
Ceasefire After Four Days
A ceasefire was declared on May 10, after backchannel talks were reportedly initiated by Pakistan within 48 hours of the Indian strikes. The conflict marked one of the most intense military escalations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years.
