WHISPERS IN THE WIND

The K9s of Operation Sindoor are some of the bravest soldiers who don't speak at all.

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In the predawn chill of April 2025, as the Indian Armed Forces prepared for a precision strike across nine terror camps in PoJK, a different kind of soldier stood ready— ears perked, nose twitching, heart steady. These were the K9s of the Indian Army, trained not just to obey, but to protect, detect and if needed, sacrifice.

Among them was Zorawar, a Belgian Malinois with a record of 17 successful missions. His handler, Havildar Arjun, often said Zorawar could smell fear before it had a name. On the night of the operation, Zorawar led a unit through a dense forest trail laced with hidden IEDs. His alert saved the entire squad from a deadly ambush.

In another sector, Kaya, a Labrador retriever, was deployed with a search-and-rescue team. After the first wave of drone strikes, Kaya located two injured commandos buried under rubble.

Her tail wagged only after both were airlifted to safety. And then there was Veer, a German Shepherd who had once been deemed “too aggressive” for ceremonial duties. But in the chaos of war, that aggression became courage.