Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 11: After Pakistan was brought down to its knees following destruction of 10 of its air force bases by the Indian armed forces and threat to its strategic installations in Rawalpindi, including offices linked to Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, that the chief patron of terrorism in the world reached out to the United States for an urgent intervention to defuse the situation.
And the US, which had already been in contact with both sides in anticipation of escalating tensions, got scared that the heightened tension between the two countries could lead to nuclear war after Pakistan fired a ballistic missile towards India which was brought down by the Indian defence forces near Sirsa, and the alert around strategic assets in Pakistan, led Washington to step in more decisively.
According to the top government sources, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to “get off the accelerator” after the launch of the ballistic missile and India’s strong response with BrahMos-A. Sources said India’s retaliatory offensive against Pakistani airbases was an operation “even bigger in scale than Operation Sindoor on May 7″ and Pakistan realised it was exposed to “annihilation” and also faced the prospect of its nuclear facilities being taken.
India’s unprecedented retaliation at the high scale came after Pakistan dared to fire a ballistic missile towards India which was brought down while on the other hand, all of India’s missiles hit their target, including Nur Khan airbase near the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
According to government sources, at dawn on May 10, Indian Air Force aircraft launched BrahMos-A (air-launched) cruise missiles targeting key Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases. The first confirmed impacts were at Chaklala near Rawalpindi and Sargodha in Punjab province. Both installations hold strategic aviation and logistics value for the Pakistan military. Confirmation of strikes on additional bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) – Jacobabad, Bholari, and Skardu – came only later in the evening after agencies concluded damage assessments through human and open source intelligence.
Within 90 minutes, India pounded Nur Khan airbase, Rafiqui airbase in Shorkot, Murid airbase in Punjab, Sukkur airbase in Sindh, Sialkot airbase, Sargodha airbase, Skardu airbase, Bholari airbase near Karachi, Jacobabad airbase, and Pasrur airstrip.
India also struck and took out Chunian radar installation in a swift response. India fired its Brahmos missiles, and HAMMER and SCALP missiles from Rafale fighter jets at these strategic airbases — in its biggest set of attacks.
The strikes on Nur Khan and Rafiqui airbases were critical as they disrupted the heart of Pakistan’s air logistics and high-level military coordination. Nur Khan base is closest to Islamabad and often used for VIP transport and military logistics. Its neutralisation severed critical links between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) leadership and its operational units during the conflict, sources say.
Rafiqui, a key fighter base hosting frontline combat squadrons, too, was rendered inoperable. The destruction of its aircraft shelters and runway infrastructure significantly weakened Pakistan’s ability to launch airborne counter-operations. This move effectively removed one of PAF’s sharpest offensive tools.
By targeting Murid air base, India disrupted a vital training and potential missile storage hub. The strike degraded Pakistan’s long-term air force readiness, cutting off a critical node in the pilot training pipeline and eliminating logistical depth for future operations.
The destruction of Sargodha was a strategic masterstroke. One of the most critical bases in Pakistan — home to Combat Commanders School, nuclear delivery platforms, and elite squadrons — its decimation crippled the neighbouring country’s command-and-control structure.
India’s strikes on Skardu airbase hurt Pakistan’s northern surveillance and air operations near the Line of Actual Control, while also disrupting logistical links that could have supported Chinese-Pakistani coordination in the high Himalayas.
India’s destruction of Sukkur airbase cut Pakistan’s southern air corridor. Sukkur had been essential for troop and equipment movement across Sindh and Balochistan. Its loss severed key logistical arteries and reduced Pakistan’s operational range in the south.
As one of Pakistan’s newest airbases with dual-use naval and air roles, Bholari had symbolised future ambitions of southern force projection. Its destruction erased those aspirations, compromising coastal defence coordination and leaving Karachi vulnerable to further strikes.
Shortly after the strikes, Indian intelligence agencies detected high alert messages flashing across Pakistani defence networks indicating a belief that India might next target Pakistan’s nuclear command and control infrastructure. Strategic installations in Rawalpindi, including offices linked to Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, reportedly heightened security protocols.
It was at this juncture that Pakistan reached out to the US for urgent intervention. The US, while maintaining a neutral posture in public, is understood to have conveyed a firm message to Islamabad: use the official military hotline and de-escalate without further delay. The US “practically ordered” the Pakistani side to activate its direct line to the Indian Army and avoid any delay.
By the afternoon of May 10, after several of Pakistan’s more aggressive tactical postures had been repelled by India, Major General Kashif Abdullah, Pakistan’s DGMO, placed a direct call to his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. The timing of the call, 1535 hrs IST, was later confirmed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a press briefing.
India continued to stand by its position of not engaging in any formal diplomatic or military negotiation with Pakistan outside of protocol. This meant that despite international pressure, New Delhi did not engage in mediation and instead signalled that the Indian armed forces were prepared for the next phase of escalation, which would have reportedly involved coordinated strikes on energy and economic targets, as well as deeper strategic command structures, government sources said.
The US President Donald Trump’s second post on Sunday indicated towards the fear of a nuclear escalation. Welcoming the ceasefire, he said India and Pakistan showed the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to “fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died!”
“Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions. I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,” Trump said.
Media reports said before the ceasefire agreement, the US Vice President JD Vance had called up the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and made it clear to him that the White House believed there was a high probability of a dramatic escalation, and encouraged him to have his country communicate with Pakistan directly and to consider options available for de-escalation.
Mr Rubio also in the meantime called the Pakistani army chief. The unprecedented call to Munir showed the US realised the army chief was not listening to the Pakistani political leadership and calling the shots. India and Pakistan may have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, but not before New Delhi made it clear to the world: it will not seek anyone’s permission to defend its people, top government sources said.
India’s deployment of non-military measures still remains in effect to reinforce its strategy to corner and consolidate international support. Among them is the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a move with serious water supply consequences for Pakistan. The treaty remains on pause.
