India’s Operation Sindoor: 9 Pakistani Aircraft, Key Military Assets Destroyed in Retaliatory Strike

NEW DELHI:
In a powerful retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in Jammu and Kashmir, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, a multi-layered air offensive that reportedly crippled Pakistan’s aerial capabilities and defence infrastructure.

Sources revealed that India’s precision air campaign led to the destruction of nine aircraft belonging to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), including six fighter jets, two high-value surveillance aircraft, and one C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Additionally, more than ten armed drones were also neutralised in a series of targeted operations carried out deep within Pakistani airspace and in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

The six fighter jets were downed during air-to-air engagements, with Indian air defence systems confirming impact through radar data and thermal imagery. The aerial combat took place in regions over Pakistani Punjab and PoJK, with the enemy aircraft disappearing from radar after confirmed hits.

One of the standout achievements of the operation was the destruction of a high-value electronic surveillance aircraft believed to be either an Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system or an ECM (Electronic Countermeasure) platform. The strike, reportedly executed using India’s long-range precision missile ‘Sudarshan’, was carried out from a distance of approximately 300 km.

In a follow-up strike, another AEW&C aircraft—of Swedish origin—was destroyed at Pakistan’s Bholari airbase. Satellite imagery later confirmed that the hangar housing the aircraft was completely annihilated.

A critical logistical blow was delivered when Indian drone units struck a forward operating base near Multan, destroying a PAF C-130 Hercules aircraft which was parked for logistical support purposes.

Further, a coordinated mission involving Indian Air Force’s Rafale and Su-30 aircraft successfully targeted a drone hangar, eliminating over ten Chinese-origin Wing Loong series UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles). In Indian airspace, several Pakistani drones were intercepted and destroyed by air defence systems in Jammu, Kashmir, and Rajasthan sectors.

New intelligence has unveiled that India struck significantly deeper than previously disclosed. According to a leaked Pakistani dossier on its internal operation codenamed Bunyan un Marsoos, India targeted at least seven additional military installations, including strategic locations in Peshawar, Hyderabad (Sindh), Jhang, Gujrat, Bahawalnagar, Attock, and Chor.

India’s initial retaliation on May 6-7 was aimed primarily at terror camps in Pakistan Punjab and PoJK, hitting nine known locations including Jaish-e-Mohammed’s headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba facilities in Muridke, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and Kotli. These strikes were backed by high-resolution satellite confirmation from Maxar Technologies, which showed extensive damage to militant training centres in PoJK.

Indian officials clarified that the early phase of Operation Sindoor strictly targeted anti-terror elements. However, the response was significantly escalated after Pakistan launched drones and ballistic projectiles at Indian civilian areas in Rajasthan and military positions in Jammu and Gujarat on May 8.

In a calibrated counteroffensive, India widened its scope, targeting eleven major Pakistani airbases—Nur Khan, Sargodha, Bholari, Rafiqui, Murid, Sialkot, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Chunian, Pasrur, and Skardu—marking a strong message of deterrence.

India’s Operation Sindoor has been hailed as one of the most strategically assertive military responses in recent years, with defence analysts calling it a turning point in India’s counter-terror doctrine.