Pakistan admitted on Wednesday that India had struck two important air bases in the country during Operation Sindoor. The admission came after multiple denials from the Pakistani government and corresponds with details shared by New Delhi soon after the attack. Deputy Prime Minister Isaq Dar admitted that Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman had also called him within 45 minutes of the strikes to ask if Pakistan wanted a ceasefire message conveyed to India.
The Pakistani leader told GeoTV during a recent interview that India had struck the two bases in the early hours of May 7 — just as Islamabad was preparing to strike back. He confirmed that the precision strikes launched by the neighbouring country had targeted the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi and Shorkot Airbase close to Islamabad.
“Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman called and asked if he could tell Jaishankar that Pakistan is ready to stop,” he admitted in conversation with Geo News.
According to details shared by India, the two airbases named by Dar were among several locations struck by India amidst Operation Sindoor. The crucial Nur Khan base is located close to the Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi and also houses the Air Mobility Command of the Pakistan Air Force. It reportedly housed key aircraft like the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Ilyushin Il-78 refuellers, and Karakoram-8. Meanwhile the base in Shorkot hosted squadrons of JF-17s, Mirage 5s, and the French Alouette III utility helicopters.
The claim also aligns with a similar admission made by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif last week after repeated denials. The comments came during a ceremony to celebrate the ‘success’ of Islamabad’s counter operations against India — with Sharif detailing the chain of events that triggered the Pakistani response.
“On the night of May 9 and May 10, at around 2.30 am, the Army chief called me from a secure line call that India, through its ballistic missiles, had attacked us. One missile hit the Nur Khan airbase, and some others have hit other areas,” he had said.