In a composed and clear presentation about Operation Sindoor, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi announced that nine terrorist facilities had been destroyed in the tri-services operation.
Hours after India launched Operation Sindoor, a precision military strike against Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, on May 7, two women officers -- Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh -- addressed the media along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
In a composed and clear presentation, Colonel Qureshi announced that nine terrorist facilities had been destroyed in the tri-services operation.
It was another proud moment in a career filled with quiet firsts.
Colonel Qureshi made national headlines in 2016 when she became the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent -- do click HERE to read the interview she had given Rediff's Archana Masih then -- at a multinational military exercise.
The event -- Exercise Force 18 -- was the largest foreign military exercise ever hosted by India, involving 18 countries from the ASEAN Plus group.
Not only was she the first Indian woman to lead such a mission, she was also the only woman contingent commander among all participating nations. The Indian Army's 40-member team, under her leadership, trained with international forces in Peacekeeping Operations and Humanitarian Mine Action.
At the time, then Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, later chief of the army staff, is quoted as saying in the Indian Express newspaper, 'She has been picked not because she is a woman but because she has the abilities and leadership qualities to shoulder the responsibility. In the Army, we believe in equal opportunity and equal responsibility.'
Colonel Qureshi hails from Vadodara. She has a master's degree in biochemistry from the Maharaja Sayajirao University and was commissioned into the army's Corps of Signals through the Officers Training Academy in 1999.
She is married to an army officer and balancing two demanding military careers has only added to her resolve.
In 2006, she was selected as a military observer with the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Congo, a conflict-ridden region that demanded more than just technical skills -- it required patience, diplomacy and courage.
Describing her role there, she told the Indian Express, 'On these missions, we monitor ceasefires and aid humanitarian activities. The job is to ensure peace in conflict-affected areas.'
Her experience in the Congo helped her understand the human side of military operations. It also gave her global exposure and built her credibility in joint-force environments -- skills that later came in handy during Exercise Force 18.
Over her 25-year career, she has earned multiple commendations. She was awarded a commendation card by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for her role in Operation Parakram, India's major military mobilisation in 2001-2002. She also received recognition from the Signal Officer-in-Chief for her work during flood relief operations in the north east.
Despite her landmark achievements, Colonel Qureshi remains humble. In interviews given over the years, she has encouraged women to join the armed forces, not for glory but for the honour of serving the country.
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