India’s Operation Sindoor caused heavy damage to Pakistani military assets

Photo : PTI

A detailed review of the fighting in early May shows that Pakistan’s military suffered heavy losses in the air and on the ground.

India’s Operation Sindoor was a strong military response after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people. During this operation, six Pakistan Air Force fighter jets, two important surveillance aircraft, more than ten armed drones, and a C-130 Hercules transport plane were destroyed.

The six fighter jets were shot down during air battles inside Pakistani Punjab and parts of Pakistan-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. Indian air defense forces tracked and confirmed the destruction of these jets using radar and thermal sensors. After being hit, the Pakistani planes disappeared from the radar.

Destruction of Two Important Surveillance Aircraft

One major target during the four-day fight was a high-value surveillance plane. Sources say this was either an electronic countermeasure aircraft or an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) plane. India’s long-range missile system, called Sudarshan, hit this target from about 300 kilometers away.

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Another AEW&C plane, originally from Sweden and based at Pakistan’s Bholari airbase, was destroyed later in an air-to-surface missile strike. Satellite pictures showed the hangar where the plane was kept was completely destroyed.

C-130 Hercules Destroyed by Drone Strike

Separately, a Pakistani C-130 Hercules transport plane was destroyed in a drone attack over Punjab. The plane was parked near Multan and was being used for logistics support when the strike happened.

Indian Air Force jets, including Rafale and Su-30 fighters, also targeted unmanned drones. They destroyed a hangar filled with many Chinese-made Wing Loong drones. Over ten of these drones were destroyed in that attack.

During the conflict, Indian air defense forces also shot down several Pakistani drones flying over Indian airspace, especially near Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.

India Struck Deeper Than Known

New documents from Pakistan, revealed after the fighting, show India struck at least seven more targets than what Indian officials had publicly said.

Maps in these documents show strikes in places like Peshawar, Jhang, Hyderabad (Sindh), Gujrat (Punjab), Bahawalnagar, Attock, and Chor. These places have important Pakistani military or dual-use facilities.

India’s military response started on the night of May 6-7 with strikes on terror camps in Pakistani Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Nine major targets were hit, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s camp in Muridke. Other targets were in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bhimber, and Chakwal.

Satellite images from Maxar Technologies confirmed serious damage to many of these locations, especially training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indian officials say these early strikes focused only on terror groups and did not target Pakistani military sites until Pakistan fired drones and missiles at Indian civilian and military spots on May 8.

After India’s initial strikes, Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on India’s western border, hitting civilian areas in Rajasthan and military bases in Jammu and Gujarat.

India then expanded its attacks to 11 Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jacobabad.

Ceasefire and What Happened Next

On May 10, after strong diplomatic talks and setbacks on the battlefield, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations, Major General Kashif Abdullah, contacted his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, and asked for an immediate ceasefire.

India agreed to stop its military actions but warned it would respond again if attacked.