The Pakistani government has publicly acknowledged the impact of India’s strategic and precision strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor in May this year. The admission came months after India launched
the operation in response to the April terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.
Pakistan admits damage to Nur Khan air base
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Indian drones struck the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala area. Speaking at a year-end press briefing, Dar said the attack caused damage to the military installation and injured personnel stationed there.
According to Dar, India sent a large number of drones into Pakistani territory over a short period. He claimed that at least 80 drones crossed the border within 36 hours. Pakistani forces, he said, intercepted 79 of them, but one drone managed to hit a military site, leading to injuries.
Dar further stated that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, held a meeting on the night of May 9 to discuss the situation and approve certain decisions. He also said India “made the mistake” of attacking the Nur Khan Air Base in the early hours of May 10, again acknowledging the strike.
Key air bases hit during Operation Sindoor
Nur Khan Air Base is a major Pakistan Air Force facility located in Rawalpindi. It was among 11 air bases targeted by Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor. Other sites hit included air bases in Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad and Muridke.
Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces in the early hours of May 7. It was a retaliatory action following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Indian strikes targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, followed by attacks on key military installations.
Reacting to Dar’s remarks, Indian Army veteran Lt Gen (Retd) KJS Dhillon dismissed Pakistan’s claim of “minor damage” and “minor injuries”. He accused Dar of lying and said the scale of destruction was far greater.
Dhillon pointed to reports from Pakistan’s own media. He said a list published by Samaa TV on Pakistan’s Independence Day named 138 people who were awarded gallantry honours posthumously for Operation Sindoor. According to him, this indicated far higher casualties than what Pakistan has officially admitted.
He also said videos released by Pakistani civilians showed the Nur Khan base in flames and claimed that all 11 targeted air bases suffered heavy damage.
India’s strike on the Nur Khan Air Base had earlier been confirmed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Days after the operation, Sharif said Army chief General Asim Munir personally informed him of the attack during the night of May 9 and 10.
In July, Sharif’s adviser Rana Sanaullah also admitted that Pakistan had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether a missile fired by India towards Nur Khan carried a nuclear warhead.
Satellite images taken in May reportedly showed significant damage to several Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan, Mushaf in Sargodha, Bholari and Shahbaz in Jacobabad. Pakistan had also admitted on May 10 that Indian missiles and drones targeted three of its air bases, including Nur Khan, Muridke and Rafiqui.
