Over the past few days, the Pakistan Army suffered the loss 40 personnel along the Line of Control in intense cross-border exchanges, while the Pakistan Air Force lost several aircraft and sustained significant damage to key assets and air bases. These losses occurred during retaliatory precision strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces under Operation Sindoor.
The information was shared on May 11, a day after both countries announced a cessation of military operations. The briefing was led by Lt General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations, alongside Air Marshal AK Bharti of the Indian Air Force and Vice Admiral AN Pramod of the Indian Navy.
Lt General Ghai revealed that on the first day of Operation Sindoor, India targeted and destroyed nine terror camps, resulting in the elimination of 100 terrorists. Among the high-value targets neutralised were Yusuf Azhar and Muddasir, who were involved in the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and the Pulwama attack.
In the following days, between May 7 and May 10, the Pakistan Army lost 40 personnel in artillery and small arms fire along the Line of Control, he said. Of the nine terror hubs targeted, five were located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while the remaining four were in mainland Pakistan.
Air Marshal Bharti stated that the Indian Air Force successfully thwarted attempts by Pakistan Air Force aircraft to enter Indian airspace and managed to shoot down “a few planes.” He added that he would refrain from specifying the exact number of PAF aircraft lost, as technical assessments were still underway.
“There are certainly losses on their side, which we have inflicted,” Air Marshal Bharti said, noting that the downed aircraft were advanced, high-tech models. Detailing the damage to Pakistani military infrastructure, he said Indian precision strikes had destroyed several key assets, including the Pasrur, Chunian, and Arifwala air defence radars, as well as airfields in Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Chaklala’s Nur Khan Air Base, Sukkur, Bholari, and Jacobabad. On the Indian side, the officers confirmed that five military personnel were killed during Operation Sindoor.
In response to a question, Air Marshal Bharti declined to comment on whether India had lost any aircraft during Operation Sindoor, citing the ongoing combat environment. He acknowledged that losses are an inherent part of any military engagement but emphasised that the Indian armed forces had successfully achieved all designated objectives and that all Indian Air Force pilots had returned safely.
“If they had the opportunity, they would have certainly attempted to enter—whether with fighter jets or UCAVs. It’s not that they lacked the intent. Our strong air defence posture is what kept them out,” he added.
Vice Admiral Pramod stated that following the terror attack in Pahalgam, the Indian Navy swiftly deployed its carrier battle group, surface vessels, submarines, and aviation assets at sea in full combat readiness, in alignment with the Indian military’s joint operational strategy. He added that naval forces remain forward-deployed in the northern Arabian Sea, maintaining a posture of deterrence and dissuasion, fully prepared to “strike select targets at sea and on land, including Karachi,” at a time of India’s choosing.
Vice Admiral Pramod noted that the Indian Navy’s forward deployment forced Pakistani naval and air units into a largely defensive posture, keeping them confined to harbours or operating close to their coastline, where they were under continuous surveillance by Indian forces. Commenting on the ceasefire agreement across all domains reached between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOS), Lt General Rajiv Ghai said that, “disappointingly,” though “not unexpectedly,” the Pakistan Army violated the agreement within just a few hours. This included cross-border and Line of Control (LoC) firing, followed by drone intrusions along the western front from Saturday night into Sunday morning. “We have sent a communique to the Pakistan DGMO and will monitor developments overnight,” he added.
He added that Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi conducted a security review on Sunday and granted full operational authority to field commanders to respond decisively to any Pakistani violations in the kinetic domain. “The response will be fierce and punitive,” he warned.
