'Daughter of Gujarat became a living reflection of pride for India': State govt on Colonel Sophia Qureshi

Ahmedabad: Hours after her press conference briefing about India's 'Operation Sindoor', the Gujarat government on Wednesday called Colonel Sophia Qureshi as the "daughter of the land who has become a living reflection of pride for the country."

Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh jointly addressed the press conference.

Colonel Qureshi along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh held a much-awaited press briefing following India's "Operation Sindoor" in terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. They gave a detailed presentation along with footage of the strikes and maps of terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir which were destroyed.

"A daughter of the land of Gujarat, Colonel Sophia Qureshi, has today become a living reflection of pride for the country. This brave female officer of the Indian Army has captured the attention of the entire nation by addressing the media about the success of “Operation Sindoor”," the state government said in a media statement.

It said that Colonel Qureshi is originally from Vadodara who did her masters in Biochemistry from M S University (Vadodara) in 1997. "After her scientific studies, she chose the Indian Army and joined the Corps of Signals where he achieved many successes."

The statement said that Qureshi's grandfather was also associated with the Indian Army, who contributed to the service as a religious teacher.

"Raised with the values of the army, today Sophia and her husband are officers in the Mechanised Infantry of the Indian Army. It said that both-the wife and the husband-are dedicated to the defense of the country," the government.

The statement mentioned that in 2016, Qureshi became the first woman officer to lead the Indian force and the only woman commander among the 18 countries which participated in the ASEAN Plus Multinational Military Exercise ‘Force 18’.

She has also made significant contributions to international peacekeeping missions. The government stated that during her six-year service under the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Qureshi was deployed in Congo in 2006.

Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh jointly addressed the press conference on the defense of the country.

"When the names of women officers are among the military leaders standing behind the country's security wall, it becomes a matter of pride for the entire nation," the government said.