NEW DELHI: In a press briefing of the Ministry of Defence on May 11, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai stated, “You are all by now familiar with the brutality and the dastardly manner in which 26 innocent lives were prematurely terminated at Pahalgam on April 22. When you combine those horrific scenes and the pain of the families that the nation witnessed with numerous other recent terrorist strikes on our armed forces and defenceless civilians, we knew that the time had arrived to make yet another compelling statement of our resolve as a nation,” he said.
“The line of control was also violated soon after by Pakistan, and the erratic and rattled response of our enemy was apparent from the number of civilians, inhabited villages and religious sites such as Gurudwaras that were unfortunately hit by them, leading to a sad loss of lives. The Indian Air Force played a major part in these strikes by engaging some of these camps, and the Indian Navy provided wherewithal in terms of precision munitions. The Indian Air Force had their assets up in the sky,” he added.
DGMO Ghai said that the brutal Pahalgam terror attack and the “numerous other” such attacks on armed forces and defenceless civilians prompted India to make a “compelling statement of our resolve as a nation” against terrorism.
The Indian armed forces have confirmed the successful execution of “Operation Sindoor” on May 7th, a decisive military action aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and punishing perpetrators of terrorism. Ghai added that the coordinated strikes on nine identified terror hubs resulted in the elimination of over 100 terrorists, marking a significant blow to terror networks operating across the border.
#WATCH | Delhi: DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai says "…Those strikes across those nine terror hubs left more than 100 terrorists killed, including high value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed that were involved in the hijack of IC814 and the… pic.twitter.com/IeH6Je6STE
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2025
The operation specifically targeted key figures involved in past terror attacks, including Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed. Notably, Lieutenant General Ghai confirmed the neutralisation of Rauf Azhar, a crucial operative with links to the 1999 IC-814 Kandahar hijacking and the brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. Another high-value target eliminated was Yusuf Azhar, also implicated in the IC-814 hijacking.
DGMO Ghai denounced Pakistan for attacking the religious places including the Gurudwaras.
“Operation Sindoor was conceptualised with the clear military aim to punish perpetrators of terror and their terror infrastructure,” asserted Lieutenant General Ghai. He further emphasised the strategic importance of the targeted locations, stating that key hideouts serving as breeding grounds for terrorists were destroyed. “Nefarious places such as Muridke, the hub centre of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, have over the years bred infamous characters such as Ajmal Kasab and the likes of David Headley,” the DGMO added, highlighting the long-standing nature of the terror threat emanating from these areas.
#WATCH | Delhi: DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai says, "It set into motion a very diligent and microscopic scarring of the terror landscape across the borders and the identification of terror camps and training sites. The locations that emerged were numerous, but as we… pic.twitter.com/46s0Arka6g
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2025
Top military officials revealed that the operation inflicted significant casualties on the Pakistani military, estimating losses of 35 to 40 personnel. Furthermore, they expressed concern over Pakistan’s actions during the state of heightened alert, alleging that the neighbouring nation continued to operate international civilian aircraft and used them to their advantage, a move seen as a breach of established protocols during conflict.
GMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai stated that under Operation Sindoor, the strikes were undertaken across 9 terror hubs and it left more than 100 terrorists killed.”We knew that the time has come to deliver another strong and decisive message. Multiple terror camps and training sites were identified across various locations. A total of nine camps were confirmed through coordination with our intelligence agencies. We successfully struck the intended targets and have returned with clear evidence of the operation’s effectiveness,” Ghai added
#WATCH | Delhi: DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai says "…In those strikes across 9 terror hubs left more than 100 terrorists killed…" pic.twitter.com/lPjM4BQSgc
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2025
Meanwhile, Air Marshal AK Bharti shows the detailed missile impact video at Bahwalpur terrorist camp.
#WATCH | Delhi: Air Marshal AK Bharti shows the detailed missile impact video at Bahwalpur terror camp. #OperationSindoor pic.twitter.com/OnT5sdwrND
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2025
While addressing the media, Vice Admiral AN Pramod stated “This time if Pakistan dares to take any action, Pakistan knows what we are going to do”
This is brutal from Vice Admiral AN Pramod :
“I will say 2 or 3 things & leave the rest to your imagination 🔥🔥
This time if Pak dares to take any action & Pak knows what we are going to do”Bone chilling dare to Bhikharistan 👏👏👏🫡🔥pic.twitter.com/L0Jq0uCzIs
— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) May 11, 2025
Operation Sindoor achieved objectives, terror camps decimated, results evident to World: Air Marshal Bharti
Air Marshal AK Bharti on Sunday emphasised the country’s military capabilities, stating that India has the ability to target every system at Pakistan’s bases. This statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two nations, following India’s recent military operation, Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India’s military operation involved precision strikes on nine sites identified as terrorist infrastructure, including militant camps in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur.
Addressing a press briefing about the Indian Armed Forces’ decision to strike back after a mass drone raid by Pakistan on the night of the 8th and 9th, which began as early as 22:30 hours, Air Marshal Bharti said, “.We have the capability to target every system at these bases and more. However, it was only a measured response to instil good wisdom to our adversary to refrain from further escalation. IAF’s response was directed only at military installations, avoiding civilians and collateral damage.”
Air Marshal AK Bharti revealed that Pakistan launched a massive drone attack on Indian cities, including Srinagar and Naliya, on the night of May 8-9, starting at 22:30 hours. According to Bharti, Indian air defense forces were prepared and successfully countered the drone attacks, preventing any damage to intended targets.
“A decision was taken to strike where it would hurt and towards that in a swift, coordinated, calibrated attack, we stuck its Air bases, command centers, military infrastructure, air defence systems across the entire Western Front. The bases we stuck includes Chaklala, Rafiq, Rahim Yar Khan, sending a clear message that aggression will not be tolerated. This was followed by strikes at Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad.”
Pakistan launched its own military operation Operation Bunyanun Marsoos, targeting several key bases in India. Reports suggest that around 300-400 drones were used in the attack, targeting 36 Indian locations, including military bases and religious sites.
The drones were reportedly of Turkish origin, specifically Asisguard Songar drones. India responded with precision strikes on Pakistani air defense sites, including military installations and surveillance radar sites in Lahore and Gujranwala.
“”On the night of 8th and 9th, starting as early as 22:30 hours, our cities had a mass raid of drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, starting right from Srinagar going right up to Naliya…We were prepared and our air defence preparedness ensured that there was no damage on the ground or to any of the intended targets that the enemy had planned for…In a measured and calibrated response, we once again targeted the military installations, surveillance radar sites at Lahore and Gujranwala…Drone attacks continued till morning which we countered,” said Air Marshal AK Bharti.
Bharti highlighted that Pakistan allowed civilian aircraft to fly out of Lahore during the drone attacks, including international passenger aircraft, which posed a significant challenge for India’s response.
“While the drone attacks were being launched from somewhere closer to Lahore, the enemy had allowed their civilian aircraft also to continue to fly out of Lahore, not only their own aircafts but also international passenger aircaft which is quite insensitive and we had to exercise extreme caution…,” he added.
According to Bharti, the methods chosen had the desired effects, but the primary aim wasn’t to inflict casualties. Instead, the focus was on hitting targets accurately, leaving the enemy to assess their losses.
“Whatever methods and whatever means we have chosen, it had the desired effects on the enemy targets. How many casualties? How many injuries? Our aim was not to inflict casualties, but in case there have been, it is for them to count. Our job is to hit the target, not to count the body bags,” he added.
