In a significant military retaliation following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 Indian lives, India carried out a series of precision airstrikes under the codename Operation Sindoor, resulting in the destruction of key Pakistani aerial and ground assets, sources have revealed.
According to post-conflict assessments conducted by Indian defence units, a total of six Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets, two surveillance aircraft, and a C-130 Hercules transport plane were destroyed during the four-day operation that unfolded in early May. Additionally, over ten armed drones were neutralised in the targeted offensive.
PAF jets downed during aerial engagement
Indian defence sources confirm that the six PAF fighter jets were taken down during air-to-air combat engagements. These took place over areas in Pakistani Punjab and parts of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Radar tracking and thermal imaging by Indian airborne and ground-based systems provided confirmation of successful hits, as the aircraft vanished from surveillance grids post-impact.
Surveillance aircraft and drone hubs targeted
One of the major blows to Pakistan’s defence infrastructure was the neutralisation of two high-value surveillance aircraft. The first was reportedly an electronic warfare or AEW&C aircraft hit from an estimated 300 km range using India’s Sudarshan long-range strike system. The second, of Swedish origin and stationed at Pakistan’s Bholari airbase, was destroyed in a cruise missile attack that also demolished the aircraft’s hangar, confirmed via satellite imagery.
C-130 Hercules and drones eliminated
A separate drone-led strike took out a PAF C-130 Hercules transport aircraft at a base near Multan. The aircraft was being used for logistical movements. Moreover, a hangar containing over ten Chinese-origin Wing Loong series unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) was targeted and destroyed by Indian fighter jets during coordinated air missions. Several additional Pakistani drones were intercepted and downed over Indian regions in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan during the conflict.
Indian strike depth extended beyond initial targets
Emerging evidence from a Pakistani military dossier suggests that India’s reach extended far deeper than earlier acknowledged. Indian strikes reportedly hit strategic locations across Peshawar, Jhang, Hyderabad (Sindh), Gujrat, Bahawalnagar, Attock, and Chor—regions housing military or dual-use assets. These operations were not included in India’s initial official briefing.
India had initially focused its strikes on terror bases in Pakistani Punjab and PoJK, including Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Bahawalpur headquarters and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Muridke camp. However, Pakistan’s response with drone and missile attacks targeting Indian civilian and military locations triggered an expanded Indian offensive against 11 Pakistani air bases.
Ceasefire follows intense engagement
On May 10, after heavy battlefield losses and diplomatic outreach, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Major General Kashif Abdullah, reached out to Indian DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai seeking a ceasefire. India agreed to halt operations but warned that any further provocation would be met with proportionate force.