Meet Colonel Sophia Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh Who Briefed 'Operation Sindoor'
New Delhi: Two senior women officers of the Indian Armed Forces — Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi — conducted the media briefing after India carried out ‘Operation Sindoor‘ in the terror camps in Pakistan. People are now buzzing about the individuals chosen to brief the nation on India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack last month in Jammu and Kashmir, which tragically killed 26 tourists and devastated their families.
Who Is Colonel Sofiya Qureshi?
The first female officer to command an Indian Army contingent in a multinational military exercise, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi hails from a military family in Gujarat. Qureshi’s grandfather served in the Indian Army. She is married to Major Tajuddin Qureshi of the Mechanized Infantry, and the couple has one son, Samir.
In 2016, Qureshi led the Indian team at ‘Exercise Force 18’, and was the only female commander among 18 participating contingents in India’s largest-hosted foreign military drill. Qureshi’s pick for the strategic mission involving national mourning, was not just about symbolic but the result of decades of frontline service, global deployments, and pioneering leadership.
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Notably, former Army Commander of Southern Command, Lt. Gen Bipin Rawat complemented Qureshi, noting that she was picked based on her capabilities and leadership qualities rather than her gender. A postgraduate degree in biochemistry, Qureshi has worked with UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) for six years.
Who Is Wing Commander Vyomika Singh?
The second woman who was part of the briefing was Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. A decorated helicopter pilot with the Indian Air Force, the Wing Commander joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and pursued engineering, finally becoming part of the armed forces. She was the first one in her family to join the armed forces.
Read Also: Operation Sindoor: International Reactions To India’s Strikes In Pakistan And PoK
Vyomika Singh had nurtured the dream of being part of the air force since her childhood. In 2009, she was granted a permanent commission in the IAF’s flying branch as a helicopter pilot, a dream she achieved with determination.
Vyomika Singh led several missions, including the 2020 rescue operation in Arunachal Pradesh, in which she flew in extreme conditions to evacuate civilians. She was part of the all-women tri-services mountaineering expedition to Mt. Manirang (21,650 ft) in 2021. She has operated helicopters like the Chetak and Cheetah across some of India’s most challenging terrain.
