US Ambassador visits Western Command, briefed on Operation Sindoor

The visit of the top-ranking US military officer to an operational Army command is part of the structured military-to-military exchange between the two countries, sources said. They held “substantive discussions on strategic security dynamics” with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar.

The Indo-Pacific Command is US’ oldest and the largest geographic combatant command with an area or responsibility encompassing 36 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China but excluding Pakistan.

“Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army,” Gor posted on his X handle on Monday afternoon. “Delighted to have Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the US-India defence partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations,” Gor had said a day before.

The Western Command is an important Indian Army formation against Pakistan, responsible for operations along the western border from Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Fazilka in Punjab in the south. It had also played a key role in Operation Sindoor, the five-day intense India-Pakistan military engagement in May 2025 during which India had successfully carried out multiple precision strikes against several Pakistani terrorist and military sites.