According to information shared by official sources with The Indian Express, India’s retaliatory strikes following the Pahalgam terror attack targeted more than a dozen military bases across Pakistan. These strikes reportedly destroyed around 20% of Pakistan Air Force’s infrastructure and also damaged several of their fighter aircraft.
Citing official sources, the report says, strikes focused on important sites such as ammunition depots and air bases, including Sargodha and Bholari, where Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 and JF-17 fighter jets were stationed.
The attack on the Bholari air base in Sindh’s Jamshoro district was especially severe, which killed over 50 people, including Squadron Leader Usman Yusuf and four airmen. Many of PAF aircraft were destroyed in the strikes.
Under Operation Sindoor, Indian forces hit a wide range of Pakistani military facilities. These included air bases at Rafiqui (Shorkot), Murid (Chakwal), Skardu, Bholari, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Nur Khan (Chaklala), Chunian, Sargodha, and Jacobabad, the IE report said. Satellite imagery taken before and after the attack revealed significant destruction at the Shahbaz air base in Jacobabad.
Indian armed forces also struck terrorist bunkers and Pak army positions along the LoC, and destroyed several of them. Indian military officials estimate that Pakistan lost between 35 to 40 soldiers in LoC crossfire, and that the PAF lost a number of fighter aircraft, the report said.
The Indian Armed Forces had on Monday released the visuals which confirmed the damage to Pakistani air bases and the successful interception of various Pakistani drones and missiles by Indian air defence systems.
The following day, Lt General D S Rana, who heads the Defence Intelligence Agency, briefed foreign defence representatives from 70 countries on the operation’s success. He explained how targets were chosen based on clear links to terrorism and emphasized the speed and coordination of India’s military response across different domains.
A post by the Integrated Defence Staff on X highlighted that Operation Sindoor demonstrated effective joint military action using advanced indigenous weapons. It also underlined India’s technological edge in newer areas such as space, cyber, and electronic warfare.