May 8, 2026
NEW DELHI – Senior Indian military officials on Thursday disclosed fresh operational details of Operation Sindoor, saying Indian forces destroyed terror camps, struck multiple Pakistani airfields and inflicted heavy military losses during the 2025 conflict triggered by the Pahalgam massacre.
Addressing a press conference in Jaipur on the anniversary of the operation, top Army, Air Force and Navy officers described Operation Sindoor as a coordinated, precision-driven military campaign that targeted terror infrastructure as well as Pakistani military assets after Islamabad escalated the conflict.
The officers said the operation reflected India’s new military doctrine of calibrated but decisive retaliation while avoiding a prolonged conflict.
Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said India initially targeted nine terror camps on May 7 before expanding strikes after Pakistan responded militarily.
“We struck and decimated their nine terrorist camps on 7th May. The proof is there for everybody to see,” Bharti said.
“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,” he added.
Bharti asserted that Pakistan failed to inflict significant damage on India during the conflict.
“They have not been able to inflict any major damage on our side. Neither any military infrastructure nor much of the civilian structures,” he said.
“Whatever they may say, remember narratives and rhetoric do not give you victory. Victory is measured by hard facts.”
Army says Pakistan lost over 100 soldiers
Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai said over 100 terrorists were killed in the nine terror camps targeted during the operation.
“They lost more than 100 soldiers. One hundred terrorists were killed in those nine terrorist camps,” he said.
Referring to Pakistan’s military honours list, Ghai claimed several awards were granted posthumously, indicating the scale of casualties suffered during the exchanges along the Line of Control.
“At the end of the day, if Pakistanis were to make the same amount of investment in their battle-fighting ability as they do in the narrative, I think they would have fared much better,” he remarked.
Navy says Pakistan pushed into defensive posture
Vice Admiral AN Pramod said the Indian Navy’s forward deployment during the operation forced Pakistani naval and air assets into a defensive position.
“As the campaign unfolded, forward deployment of the Indian Navy compelled Pakistani naval and air units to enter a defensive posture largely confined to harbours or operating close to their coastline,” he said.
Pramod also said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s ability to respond to asymmetric provocation with “deliberate, precise and proportionate force”.
“If challenged again, we will not merely respond, we’ll shape the battle space from the outset,” he added.
Forces stress joint planning and indigenous systems
The military officers repeatedly highlighted the role of joint planning and indigenous defence systems during the operation.
Air Marshal Bharti said the three services coordinated closely before launching the strikes.
“Our aim was not just to hit. It had to be lethal. It had to be precise, avoiding collateral,” he said.
Lt Gen Ghai said Operation Sindoor proved that “Atmanirbhar is not just a slogan, it is indeed a force multiplier”.
Officials said indigenous systems, including BrahMos missiles, Akash air defence systems, drones and advanced surveillance platforms, played a decisive role during the conflict.