100+ Terrorists Killed in 9 Terror Targets Across Pakistan, PoK During Operation Sindoor: India

Operation Sindoor: The ceasefire between India and Pakistan, brought about through US diplomatic and military initiative, has temporarily halted hostilities between the two nuclear weapons states which are on the verge of full-scale shooting war with military engagements involving fighter jets, missiles, precision weapons, kamikaze drones and artillery guns over the last four days haviing escalated sharply. The conflict was inflamed by India's strike of several terror sites, air bases and military installations in Pakistan while Pakistani military made desperate attempts to hit military infrastructure and civilian sites in several states across Indian territory.

A cessation of fighting -- at least on paper; some reports suggest violation of ceasefire in places across the Line of Control (Loc) by Pakistan -- has averted larger-scale conflict, as well as calling the two states to account for the battle results after India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 as a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror incident that killed 26 people in mobility context, officials tracking events following the operation spoke on Saturday.

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From the start, the operation unfolded just as India envisioned; it hit nine terror training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) with the precision strikes resulting in around 100 terrorists killed in just 26 minutes; while India has not put a number out officially, according to those present when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed leaders of other political parties, 100 was mentioned as the number that was hit. The targets were chosen based on firm intelligence, as well as the pedigree, they possessed in executing terror acts.

The weapon systems used included Rafale-launched Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer smart weapon and guided bomb kits, M777 howitzers with Excalibur munitions, and loitering munitions (aka kamikaze drones). The next evening, Indian military stopped Pakistan's attempts to hit several military targets including missiles and drones, to hit 15 cities in the north and west of the country, and targeted Pakistan's air defenses at a number of locations, including destroying those located in Lahore and Karachi when defense locations were hit from the counter-attack.

Over the course of the next fours days, India's response was defined by the systems that were deployed to neutralize aerial threats from Pakistan during this period. These protected Pakistan’s use of Turkish-origin Asisguard Songar armed drones, the US origin systems were Russian origin S-400 Triumf air defence system, locally produced Akash surface-to-air missiles, Barak 8 air defence system, a range of anti-drone systems and other counter-measures to defeat incoming threats that were targeted after being detected and tracked by an integrated systems of radars, radar systems, commands, and control.

Both sides suffered military and civilian casualties as they exchanged artillery and mortar fire along the LoC.

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In the intervening night of May 8-9, Pakistan launched attacks on 36 targets across India from Leh, Jammu and Bathinda in the north to Sir Creek in the west, using 300-400 Turkish-origin Asisguard Songar armed drones. A majority of the drones were shot down by the Indian forces who launched a counter attack targeting Pakistan basic air defence systems.

The follow day, Pakistan continued drone strikes on 26 sites along the LoC and IB, with Indian forces neutralising those threats with their air defence systems and being able to use their counter-drone systems.

Pakistan faced its greatest blow in the early morning of May 10, when the Indian Air Force launched precision weapons at eight military locations in Pakistan, including airbases, radar stations and ammunition stores, after the attack on India's military installations and civilian locations with fighter jets, unmanned combat aerial vehicles and missiles by Pakistan's military.

IAF jammed military targets in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur and Sialkot. These all night developments signified the most severe battle between the two militaries since India implemented Operation Sindoor. India's targets were primarily technical infrastructure, command and control sites, radar sites and weapon storage facilities.

Pakistan had also suffered a great deal of heavy and unsustainable losses during the last couple of days following it's unprovoked attack as a consequence of it's attack of India's installations, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said in a briefing after the announcement of a ceasefire.

“There has been extensive damage to crucial Pakistani airbases like Skardu, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari. Also, loss of air defence weapons and radars made the defence of Pakistani airspace untenable. Across the LoC, extensive and precise damage to military infrastructure, command and control centres and logistics installations led to a complete breakdown of its defensive and offensive capabilities,” she added.

Also Read: “If Pakistan Violates Ceasefire Tonight…”: Indian Armed Forces Issue Stern Warning