Terror v/s might: India destroys 4 Pak airbases; IC-814 mastermind among dead
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: On the third day of the ongoing Operation Sindoor, India on Saturday struck hard at Pakistan’s multiple air bases, destroying four of them, as fresh reports emerged about the deaths of dozens of terrorists, including that of Jaish-e-Muhammed chief Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law, Muhammed Yusuf Azhar, the man behind the Indian flight IC-814’s hijack in 1999 to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
Pakistani Deep State—including the military, bureaucracy, and politicians—has mourned the death of these terrorists. Many of them joined their funerals and placed wreaths on their coffins.
According to reports, India destroyed Pakistan air bases at Rafiq, Murid, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan, disabling them for the aircraft take-off for now.
In Pakistani’s attacks overnight, minor damage was reported to equipment and personnel at Indian Air Force (IAF) stations in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj while several Pakistani missiles and drones were destroyed by the Indian defense apparatus.
In a swift and calibrated response, Indian armed forces on Saturday carried out precision strikes on Pakistan Air Force bases, including at Rafiq, Murid, Chaklala and Rahim Yar Khan, to neutralise across the border firepower. Pakistan’s military installations at Sukkur, Chunian, a radar site at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation base were also targeted.
Indian Army Colonel Sophiya Qureshi and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh revealed in a press briefing that the armed forces carried out precision attacks only on identified military targets, which included technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar sites and weapon storage areas. While carrying out these responses, India ensured minimum collateral damage, they said
According to Wg Cdr Singh, Pakistani military targets at Rafiq, Murid, chaklala, Rahim Yar khan, Sukoor and Chunia were engaged using air launch precision weapons from fighter aircraft. Radar sight at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases were also targeted with precision ammunition, she said.
Pakistan Air Force airbase Rafique at Shorkot in the Jhang district is one of the most important air bases in Pakistan, hosting numerous squadrons, including front-line fighter units.
While Murid Airforce Station at Chakwal is a strategic forward base with air defence and radar assets, Chaklala, known as Airbase Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, is critical in handling VIP transport and strategic operations. It’s the headquarters of Air Mobility Command and hosts aircraft. Rahim Yar Khan has a strategically significant location.
Wg Cdr Singh cautioned that the Pakistani military has been observed moving its troops into forward areas, indicating an offensive intent to further escalate the situation. Indian Armed Forces remain in high operational readiness to repulse any advances.
They revealed that the Pakistani military continued with its provocation, carrying out aggressive actions employing multiple threat factors all along the western border. It employed U cap drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter aircraft to target civilian areas and military infrastructure, they said.
The Pakistan military also resorted to air intrusion using drones and the firing of heavy calibre weapons along the line of control. Along the International Border and the Line of Control, air intrusions and several harassment attacks were also attempted from Srinagar to Nalia at more than 26 locations.
The IAF officer also revealed that there were also several “high speed missile” attacks noticed subsequently after 0140 hrs in the night at several air bases in Punjab.
And, Pakistan attacked the medicare centre and school premises at the airbases of Srinagar, Awantipur and Udhampur, yet again displaying irresponsible targeting of Indian civilian infrastructure
Along the Line of Control also, Pakistan has attempted multiple air intrusions using drones and conducted shelling with heavy calibre artillery guns targeting civilian infrastructure and killing some civilians. Heavy exchange of artillery mortars and small arms fire in the Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri and Akhnoor sectors continued.
An Assistant District Development Commissioner, Raj Kumar Thapa, was among five killed in heavy shelling in Rajouri, in which his house was also damaged. All hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded appropriately, she stated.
Pakistan also attempted a continued malicious misinformation campaign with claims of destruction of Indian S 400 systems at Adampur, destruction of airfields at Suratgarh and Sirsa and Brahmos base at Nagrota Artillery gun positions at Deranyari and Chandigarh forward ammunition depot with heavy damages to other military stations being propagated on social media. India unequivocally rejected these false narratives being spread by Pakistan, they clarified.
On Sunday afternoon, reports emerged that Yusuf Azhar, responsible for handling weapons training for JeM operatives and involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir was among the dozens of terrorists killed during the Indian Armed Forces’ multi-pronged, coordinated strike launched on May 7, targeting nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Azhar was also involved in the conspiracy to hijack Indian Airlines aircraft IC-814 from Kathmandu (Nepal) to Delhi in 1999. A Red Corner notice number was issued against him. Besides, he was behind the beheading of Jewish-American Journalist Daniel Pearl, on camera in 2002.
