Operation Sindoor: 5 fresh updates on India's retaliation that crippled Pakistan

Operation Sindoor details reveal India's counterterror response to the Pahalgam terror attack, highlighting its scale and damage dealt to Pakistani military.

Fresh details have emerged about Operation Sindoor, India’s counterterror response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, days after New Delhi and Islamabad reached a cessation agreement. The revelations shed light on the scale and intensity of the operation, as well as the extent of damage inflicted on the Pakistani military.

Happy faces of Modi and security forces personnel captured at Punjab's Adampur airbase, a day after the PM's address to the nation on Operation Sindoor. (HT Photo)

1. Operation Sindoor marks first combat role for two women colonels: The operation became a historic moment for two women colonels who stepped into live combat for the first time. Leading air defence units in Pathankot and Suratgarh during the intense May 7-10 clashes, they played a key role in fending off Pakistan’s missile and drone strikes on military bases, cities, and even religious sites.  Both women, the only female officers in their 800-strong units, took charge just two years ago. 
2. Pakistan’s retaliation lasted only 8 hours despite big claims: Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos at 1am on May 10, vowing to destroy Indian air bases within 48 hours. But the operation collapsed by 9:30am the same day after four precise Indian Air Force airstrikes crippled key Pakistani airbases, forcing Islamabad to urgently reach out to the US for a ceasefire.
3. India’s powerful strikes took out top Chinese-made defence systems: In a display of advanced targeting, Indian forces destroyed Pakistan’s prized Chinese-made LY-80 air defence system in Lahore with a HARPY kamikaze drone, and took out the HQ-9 system (China’s S-300 equivalent) in Karachi using a missile strike.
4. Rafales and Sukhois struck in tandem with deadly precision: The IAF used a mix of SCALP missiles from Rafale jets and BrahMos missiles from Su-30MKIs in coordinated attacks. The very first strike knocked out the northern air command-control centre at Nur Khan air base in Chaklala, RawalpindI, with subsequent hits at Jacobabad and Bholari air bases, crippling Pakistan’s air defence within hours.
5. 170 terrorists killed: India’s massive May 7 strikes reportedly eliminated over 170 terrorists, with the heaviest damage inflicted in Bahawalpur — a key terror stronghold in Pakistan. The operation also marked a historic milestone with the active participation of Indian women fighter pilots. In total, 42 Pakistani military personnel were killed in the Indian strikes, while India suffered seven casualties.