Who are Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the officers who led the press briefing on Operation Sindoor
On 7th May, India carried out “Operation Sindoor” in response to the brutal killings of 26 Hindu tourists by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Pahalgam on 22nd April. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi provided comprehensive details about the operation during a press briefing. They stated that the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy collaborated on this mission. Additionally, India conveyed a message of female empowerment by organising a press conference with two women in leadership roles.
Colonel Sofia Qureshi is one of the two officers who conducted the press briefing. She enlisted in the Indian Army at the age of 17 to pursue her aspirations. She was born in Vadodara of Gujarat in 1981 and entered the army in 1999 via the Short Service Commission. Her background is steeped in military tradition as her grandfather was also an army personnel and her husband is also an officer in the army.
She has played a significant role in the army’s peacekeeping missions. She made remarkable contributions during “Operation Parakram” at the Punjab border and in flood relief efforts in the North East, earning widespread recognition for her work. Exercise Force 18 was held in Pune, involving 18 countries, including ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations nations). Sofia Qureshi was notably the only woman among the 40 officers who were part of this exercise.
On the other hand, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh harbored a passion for flying since her early years. Interestingly, her name means one who resides in the sky. Her name also bolstered her aspirations. She began her journey at SCC and subsequently entered the force after obtaining her engineering degree. She stands as the first member of her family to enter the armed forces. She was commissioned as a helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force and received a permanent commission in the flying branch in 2019.
She has operated helicopters like the Chetak and Cheetah in some of the most difficult regions, including Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. Vyomika Singh has been involved in various rescue missions. In 2021, she joined a women’s mountaineering expedition representing the three military branches on Mount Manirang, earning considerable recognition from this endeavor.
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