Next War Could Hit Indian Cities: Army Warns After China-Pakistan-Turkey Military Collusion in May Conflict
New Delhi: In a startling revelation, Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance), stated that China provided real-time intelligence to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor — a four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan in May.
Speaking at the ‘New Age Military Technologies’ conclave organized by FICCI on Friday, Lt Gen Singh said, “While Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level talks were underway, Pakistan was receiving live updates about our strategic deployments from China. They were even citing specific operational vectors and urging us to pull them back. This shows the depth of real-time coordination between them.”
He noted that during the conflict, India was effectively battling three adversaries: Pakistan on the frontlines, China in the background as the chief enabler, and Turkey as a critical supplier of drones and other tech. “It wasn’t just Pakistan we were facing. China was providing all possible support — 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware is of Chinese origin. It’s a live weapons lab for Beijing. Turkey too played a significant role, supplying drones like the Bayraktar,” Singh said.
China—A Backdoor Adversary
Lt Gen Singh described China as India’s “backdoor adversary” in modern conflicts. “China is not fighting directly but enabling our enemies with intelligence, arms, and platforms. They’re testing their systems against us, making Pakistan a live testing ground,” he warned.
During the operation, Pakistan deployed Chinese-origin PL-15 missiles, J-10 and JF-17 fighter jets, and HQ-9 air defence systems. Turkish drones also featured prominently in the attacks. However, most of these strikes were intercepted by Indian forces, who retaliated with precision strikes on Pakistani airbases, radar facilities, and military sites.
India Must Prepare for Civilian Targeting
The Deputy Army Chief also issued a sobering warning: while civilian population centres escaped major damage in the May conflict, future confrontations may not be so restrained. “This time, our population hubs were not targeted, but we must prepare for that possibility going forward,” he cautioned.
In the recent clash, missiles and drones were fired at Amritsar — home to the revered Golden Temple — but Indian defences successfully neutralized the threats. Outside of Jammu and Kashmir, where some civilian sites were struck, large-scale civilian attacks were avoided.
Key Takeaways:
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China gave real-time battlefield inputs to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
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81% of Pakistan’s military inventory is Chinese-made.
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Turkey supplied attack drones like Bayraktar that were used against India.
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China is using Pakistan as a “live weapons lab”, said Lt Gen Singh.
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India must prepare for potential targeting of civilian cities in future wars.
