Operation Sindoor: Who are Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh briefing the world?

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh joined Foreign Secretary Vikram Misry to provide details about the 25-minute operation that was launched by the Indian Army as a retaliation against the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The choice of the two women officers carries symbolism like the word 'Sindoor' was selected reportedly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver the message of avenging the Pahalgam terror attack that widowed Indian women.

The presence of the two women officers has gained significance as the operation was aimed at delivering justice to the widows of all men who were killed in the attack.

The word Sindoor, Vermillion in English, is used on the head as a mark of Hindu married women.

Who are the two women officers?

Sofiya Qureshi, 35, is an officer from the Indian Army's Corps of Signals.

She achieved the feat of becoming the first lady officer to lead the Indian Army training contingent at Force 18, which is the largest foreign military exercise hosted in India.

The exercise was marked by the participation of 18 countries including top global powers like the US, China, and Japan.

Colonel Qureshi, whose grandfather had served in the Army, was the only woman officer to lead a contingent in Force 18. She is married to an officer from Mechanised Infantry.

In a complete contrasting scenario, Wing Commander Singh is the first from her family to join the Army.

In a bid to fulfill her childhood dream of flying, Wing Commander Singh joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and later finished engineering.

She was given a permanent commission in the flying branch of Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2019. She operated helicopters Chetak and Cheetah in tough terrains including Jammu and Kashmir and NorthEast India.

She played crucial roles in multiple rescue missions including one in Arunachal Pradesh in 2020.