Top Indian military commanders on Thursday offered the most detailed public account yet of Operation Sindoor, claiming that Indian forces destroyed 13 Pakistani aircraft, struck 11 enemy airfields and dismantled major terror infrastructure across Pakistan during the high-intensity operation earlier this year.
Addressing a joint press conference in Jaipur, senior officers from the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy said the operation marked a decisive shift in India’s strategic posture against cross-border terrorism and Pakistani military escalation.
Deputy Chief of Air Staff Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said Indian forces carried out precision strikes on nine terrorist camps on May 7 as part of Operation Sindoor and later expanded attacks to key Pakistani military installations.
“We struck and decimated their nine terrorist camps. The proof is there for everybody to see,” Air Marshal Bharti said.
He added that Indian forces targeted 11 Pakistani airfields and destroyed 13 Pakistani aircraft “either on the ground or in the air”, including what he described as a “high-value airborne asset” hit from a distance exceeding 300 kilometres.
The remarks represent one of the strongest official Indian claims regarding battlefield damage inflicted on Pakistan since the operation began.
Air Marshal Bharti also directly countered Pakistani claims of success during the confrontation, saying Islamabad’s narrative did not match battlefield realities.
“They have not been able to inflict any major damage on our side — neither military infrastructure nor much civilian infrastructure,” he said. “Narratives and rhetoric do not give you victory. Victory is measured by hard facts.”
What Was Operation Sindoor?
Operation Sindoor was launched by India following a major terror attack that New Delhi attributed to Pakistan-backed groups operating from across the border. Indian officials described the operation as a calibrated but forceful military response targeting terrorist infrastructure, launch pads and strategic support facilities deep inside Pakistani territory.
The operation marked a significant evolution in India’s military doctrine, combining long-range precision strikes, integrated tri-services coordination, electronic warfare capabilities and forward deployment across land, air and sea.
Unlike previous limited retaliatory operations such as the 2016 surgical strikes or the 2019 Balakot airstrike, Operation Sindoor was presented by Indian military planners as a sustained, multi-domain campaign designed not only to punish terror groups but also impose strategic costs on Pakistan’s military establishment.
The operation reportedly involved coordinated strikes by fighter aircraft, drones, long-range missiles and naval deployments in both the Arabian Sea and critical forward sectors near the western border.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who played a central role in the operation as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), described Operation Sindoor as “not an end, but just the beginning.”
“It was a statement of resolve, responsibility and strategic restraint,” Lt Gen Ghai said, adding that India had demonstrated both military precision and political maturity during the campaign.
He stressed that India’s actions were executed with “precision, proportionality and clarity of purpose”, signalling that New Delhi intended to maintain escalation control while still delivering punitive military consequences.
“India will defend its sovereignty, its security and its people decisively, professionally and with utmost responsibility,” he added.
Navy Says Pakistan Forced Into Defensive Posture
Director General Naval Operations AN Pramod said the Indian Navy’s forward deployment during the operation forced Pakistani naval and air assets into a defensive posture close to their coastline and harbours.
According to Vice Admiral Pramod, India’s use of long-range precision weapons against terror hubs deep inside Pakistan effectively neutralised what he called Pakistan’s longstanding “nuclear blackmail” strategy.
“By striking terror hubs in the heart of Pakistan using long-range precision weapons, India effectively called the bluff on Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail,” he said.
The naval commander added that the operation reflected the strategic clarity of the Indian political leadership, which provided the armed forces with a “precise and unambiguous mandate” along with operational freedom.
Military analysts say the comments indicate India wanted to signal that Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence posture would no longer prevent calibrated conventional retaliation against terror attacks.
Strategic Messaging and Regional Implications
The unusually detailed disclosures by top Indian commanders appear aimed not only at domestic audiences but also at the international strategic community. By publicly claiming destruction of Pakistani aircraft and airfields, India is projecting Operation Sindoor as a demonstration of enhanced military reach, technological capability and joint-force integration.
The operation also appears to have altered military calculations in South Asia by demonstrating India’s willingness to conduct deep precision strikes while managing escalation thresholds.
While Pakistan has repeatedly rejected Indian claims regarding the extent of damage inflicted during the operation, Indian military officials insisted on Thursday that the evidence of successful strikes was visible through satellite imagery, intelligence assessments and operational records.
The joint briefing comes on the anniversary of Operation Sindoor and is being seen as part of a broader effort to institutionalise the operation within India’s evolving national security narrative.
Also Read: After Operation Sindoor, India Needs Strategy, Not Spectacle https://www.vibesofindia.com/after-operation-sindoor-india-needs-strategy-not-spectacle/
