New Delhi, May 11 – India said on Saturday its armed forces killed more than 100 militants and up to 40 Pakistani soldiers in a series of cross-border strikes under “Operation Sindoor,” launched in response to a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region last month.
The strikes, carried out on May 7, targeted nine terrorist camps and key Pakistani military positions, senior defence officials said at a joint press briefing in New Delhi. The Indian military described the operation as a “coordinated and calibrated” response to continuing ceasefire violations and drone incursions by Pakistan.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations, said high-profile militants including Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed—linked to the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and the 2019 Pulwama bombing—were among those killed.
“India acted in self-defence and with restraint,” Ghai told reporters, adding that 35 to 40 Pakistani soldiers were also killed during the strikes. The Indian Air Force confirmed it conducted precision airstrikes on six Pakistani airbases—Chaklala, Murid, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian—targeting what it described as infrastructure used to launch drone attacks into Indian territory.
“Despite agreeing to a ceasefire, Pakistan launched multiple drone offensives. We responded with accurate, strategic strikes,” said Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Director General of Air Operations.
Bharti criticised Pakistan for allowing civilian and international flights to operate out of Lahore during hostilities, calling it “extremely insensitive” and risky amid escalating tensions.
Officials from all three services—army, navy, and air force—participated in the over hour-long briefing, presenting a unified military front. The Indian response followed the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians and was attributed to Pakistan-based militant groups.
Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations, issued a warning to Pakistan, stating that any further provocation would be met with “firm and decisive” retaliation.
The military clarified that the ceasefire agreed upon with Pakistan was a temporary 36-hour halt intended for humanitarian considerations and threat assessment. However, India accused Pakistan of violating the Line of Control (LoC) shortly afterward by targeting civilian areas, including religious sites.
“While India targeted terror camps, Pakistan deliberately attacked civilian villages and even Gurudwaras,” Bharti said.
India also confirmed that five of its soldiers were killed during the operation and Pakistan’s retaliatory actions. When pressed for details about Pakistani aircraft losses, Bharti declined to provide specifics. “Our job is to neutralise threats, not to count body bags,” he said.
