In a significant and unprecedented admission, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has publicly confirmed that India struck two key Pakistani airbases—Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi and Shorkot Airbase—during Operation Sindoor.

This operation was launched by India on May 7, 2025, as a direct and calibrated response to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians.

Dar’s statement, delivered during a televised interview, marks a departure from Pakistan’s earlier denials regarding the extent and impact of the Indian strikes. He revealed that the attacks occurred just as Pakistan was preparing its own retaliatory measures, but India’s swift action pre-empted and disrupted those plans.

The Deputy PM’s remarks also highlighted the urgency within Islamabad to de-escalate the crisis, with Dar admitting that Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman contacted him within 45 minutes of the strikes, offering to mediate and convey Pakistan’s willingness to halt further escalation to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

The Indian strikes were described by New Delhi as “precise, measured, and non-escalatory,” with a focus on targeting terror-linked infrastructure and installations involved in cross-border attacks, rather than initiating a broader conflict with the Pakistani state.

Indian officials emphasised strict rules of engagement, deliberately avoiding attacks on Pakistani aircraft or pre-emptive suppression of air defence systems, thereby accepting greater operational risk to confine the conflict to its stated objectives.

Operation Sindoor represented a significant evolution in India’s military strategy. Unlike previous incidents such as the Uri and Balakot strikes, India not only targeted terrorist camps but also expanded its operations to include major Pakistani military facilities, including forward airbases for the first time since the 1971 war.

The strikes reportedly resulted in the destruction of up to 20% of Pakistan Air Force infrastructure, including several fighter aircraft and ammunition depots, and caused considerable casualties among Pakistani military personnel. Satellite imagery and video evidence released by India substantiated the scale of the damage, making it difficult for Pakistan to maintain plausible deniability as it had in earlier crises.

Pakistan’s initial attempts at retaliation, including drone and missile attacks on Indian military sites, were met with further Indian counter strikes, ultimately leading to a four-day cycle of intense military exchanges across the border.

The escalation prompted urgent diplomatic interventions, with both Saudi Arabia and the United States being approached by Pakistan to help de-escalate the situation. By May 10, both sides reached an understanding to cease further military actions, effectively ending the immediate crisis.

The public acknowledgment by Pakistan’s Deputy PM and, subsequently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who also admitted to Indian BrahMos missile strikes on multiple locations including Rawalpindi airport, represents a strategic shift in the transparency of Indo-Pakistani military engagements. It also underscores the effectiveness of India’s operational planning and execution, as well as the broader regional and international efforts to prevent further escalation.

Operation Sindoor stands as a watershed moment in South Asian military and diplomatic history, demonstrating India’s enhanced deterrence posture, the vulnerabilities within Pakistan’s defence infrastructure, and the critical role of third-party mediation in averting a wider conflict.

Based On India Today Report