Pakistan has acknowledged that India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor in May caused damage to key military infrastructure, marking a rare public admission months after the operation was carried out. The disclosure follows India’s retaliatory action after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed in an assault attributed to Pakistan-backed militants.
At a year-end briefing, 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. He stated that the military installation sustained damage and that personnel stationed at the base were injured during the attack.
According to Dar, India carried out a large-scale drone operation over a short span, with around 80 drones entering Pakistani airspace within 36 hours. Pakistani forces reportedly intercepted most of them, but at least one drone reached a sensitive military site, resulting in damage and casualties.
“They (India) sent drones towards Pakistan. In 36 hours, at least 80 drones were sent. We were able to intercept 79 drones out of 80, and only one drone damaged a military installation and personnel were also injured,” Dar said during the presser streamed on official X handle of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dar also said that Pakistan did not request mediation with India during the conflict, but claimed that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed a desire to speak with New Delhi.
Satellite imagery captured in May reportedly showed visible damage at multiple Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Mushaf Air Base in Sargodha, Bholari and Shahbaz Air Base in Jacobabad. Pakistan had also conceded on May 10 that Indian missiles and drones targeted three of its air bases, including Nur Khan, Muridke and Rafiqui.
The acknowledgment underscores the scale and impact of Operation Sindoor, highlighting a significant escalation in India’s use of precision strike capabilities and marking a notable moment in regional military transparency.
In another event, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said that he was advised to “hide in a bunker” when India launched Operation Sindoor in May this year, but refused to leave his post. Speaking at an event in Larkana to mark the 18th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Mr Zardari recalled that his military secretary had warned him that “the war has started and he should go into a bunker.
“My MS (Military Secretary) came to me and said Sir, the war has started. I had actually told him four days earlier that a war was going to happen. He said, Sir, let’s go to a bunker … I said, If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield. They don’t die sitting in bunkers,” he told the gathering.
Zardari said Pakistan “desires peace but remains fully prepared to defend itself,” insisting that the country had taken what he described as a decisive stance during the four-day conflict.
India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, carrying out strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 civilian lives. The operation led to four days of heavy cross-border clashes before both sides agreed to halt further military action on May 10.
