India on Thursday revealed the extent of damage inflicted on Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, with senior military officials stating that Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on terror camps, airfields and aircraft in a calibrated response following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
Addressing a press briefing on the first anniversary of the operation, Air Marshal AK Bharti said India targeted and destroyed key terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), while also severely damaging Pakistan’s military assets.
“We struck and decimated their 9 terrorist camps on 7th May. The proof is there for everybody to see. We struck 11 of their airfields. We destroyed 13 of their aircraft either on the ground or in the air, including one high-value airborne asset at a record distance of 300 kilometres plus,” Bharti said.
The Air Marshal asserted that the operation was carried out with precision and strategic restraint, aimed solely at dismantling terror networks and their supporting infrastructure.
During the media briefing, Bharti was also questioned about losses suffered on the Indian side during the operation and the subsequent military escalation. Rejecting claims of major damage, he said India’s defence and civilian infrastructure remained intact.
“Neither has any of our military infrastructure been damaged, nor civilian structure,” he said, adding that Pakistan “has not been able to inflict any major damage.”
Reiterating India’s long-standing policy of restraint, Air Marshal Bharti said the country believes in the philosophy of “live and let live,” but warned that India responds decisively whenever its security and sovereignty are threatened.
According to him, Operation Sindoor represented a “calibrated yet forceful response” intended to deter future terror attacks emanating from across the border.
Referring to the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians lost their lives, Bharti said India could not reverse the tragedy but could take strong action to ensure such incidents are not repeated.
“We could not bring back the innocent lives lost, but we can ensure those responsible and their supporters face consequences,” he said.
He further noted that Operation Sindoor, though currently paused, was launched precisely with the objective of dismantling the terror ecosystem responsible for the attack.
Operation Sindoor was initiated on May 7, 2025, days after the terror strike in Pahalgam that triggered nationwide outrage and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
Under the operation, Indian armed forces carried out coordinated strikes on nine terror bases located in Pakistan and PoK. Military officials said the mission was intelligence-led and executed with full operational freedom granted to the armed forces.
Bharti described the operation as a decisive strike against “those responsible and their supporters,” emphasizing that the planning focused on precision targeting while minimising collateral damage.
The Indian military maintained that the operation was not directed against civilians or ordinary military infrastructure, but specifically against terror camps and strategic assets linked to anti-India activities.
The briefing marks the first detailed official account of Operation Sindoor and underscores India’s stance that cross-border terrorism will continue to invite a strong and measured military response.
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