Operation Sindoor: Now Pakistan Acknowledges More Losses than India Claimed
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 3: Pakistan has acknowledged to have suffered more damages than even claimed by India during the “Operation Sindoor” of Indian armed forces’ retaliatory attack to the Pahalgam terror incident in which 26 innocent tourists were butchered by the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.
An official internal dossier in Pakistan has revealed India struck more Pakistan targets during Operation Sindoor than the Indian forces claimed. The dossier on Pakistan’s “Operation Bunyan un Marsoos” says India struck at least eight more targets than its forces referred to.
The maps in the dossier show Indian strikes in Pakistan damaged structures in Peshawar, Jhang, Hyderabad in Sindh, Gujrat in Punjab, Gujranwala, Bhawalnagar, Attock, and Chor, on the intervening night of May 9 and 10. Pakistan has also admitted it suffered more damage than it earlier acknowledged, during India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the intervening night of May 6 and 7.
The mentioned eight locations were not mentioned by the Indian Armed Forces during the press briefings held after the May 7 counteroffensive. Another map revealed locations struck by India on the intervening night of May 7 and 8.
The new revelation reveals that India struck far deeper than it acknowledged and shows Operation Sindoor in a new light, making it abundantly clear why Pakistan reached out to India and requested a ceasefire. It also flies in the face of Islamabad’s tall claims of inflicting heavy damage on Indian side.
The Indian military establishment has held detailed briefings, meticulously explaining the scale and depth of its counterstrike. Against this backdrop, omitting these targets is likely a calculated strategy to let Pakistan reveal the full scale of damage and snuff out any possibility of Islamabad claiming otherwise.
Earlier, satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies had revealed the damage caused by precision strikes during Operation Sindoor. In its offensive against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, India struck nine locations, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Toiba training centre in Muridke. Other locations targeted in the May 7 strikes included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal.
Images captured by Maxar also revealed significant damage to four air bases in Pakistan – Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, Bholari Air Base, and PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad.
Other satellite images had provided stark visual evidence of the destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur and Muridke. Before-and-after satellite images of the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, the operational headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), also showed significant damage.
Despite India emphasising after the May 7 strikes that it had targeted only terror bases, Pakistan launched a volley of drones and missiles at civilian areas and military establishments across India’s western side. India responded by striking Pakistan’s military establishment.
Eleven air bases were targeted — these include Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skaru, Bholari and Jacobabad. The heavy damage left Pakistan with no choice but to seek a ceasefire, ending the three-day escalation.
India has stressed that Operation Sindoor has drawn a big red line. Any terrorist act in India would now be seen as an act of war and invite tough action. Indian capabilities have been well-displayed during the recent conflict. And as the Pakistan dossier suggests, India struck deep and hard, more than what it acknowledged.
