New Delhi: India’s stunningly effective and precisely coordinated military operation left Pakistan isolated, exposed and pleading for a ceasefire within hours. Codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian armed forces launched a 90-minute precision air offensive in the early hours of May 10, targetting 11 key bases of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) deep inside the country’s airspace. The strikes crippled Pakistan’s combat readiness and forced its leadership scrambling for diplomatic intervention.
What began as an attempt by Islamabad to brandish its nuclear posture as a deterrent against growing Indian assertiveness quickly spiraled into an operational and psychological disaster. Following weeks of heightened tensions and provocative statements from Pakistani officials suggesting readiness for nuclear escalation, India launched an audacious preemptive strike aimed not just at neutralising threats but dismantling Pakistan’s ability to sustain or even contemplate a military response.
Between 3:00-4:30 a.m., Indian Air Force fighter jets armed with long-range precision weapons struck Pakistan’s vital operational architecture. These included Nur Khan Airbase in Chaklala, Rafiqui in Shorkot, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari and Jacobabad – an array of strategically spread-out installations that formed the backbone of Pakistan’s aerial warfare and logistics capabilities.
The most audacious and symbolic of these strikes was the obliteration of Nur Khan Airbase, located right next to Islamabad. A key military logistics artery often used for high-level VIP and military transport, its neutralisation effectively severed top-tier coordination between Pakistan’s political and defense leadership. The blow was not only operational but deeply psychological. It sent shockwaves through Rawalpindi’s military command structure.
At Rafiqui PAF base, Indian missiles destroyed aircraft shelters and crippled runway systems. The strike made the base, which was once a hub for Pakistan’s frontline combat squadrons, completely inoperable.
Murid Airbase was another crucial node targeted by India. A known training and potential missile storage hub, its loss further degraded the PAF’s long-term combat readiness.
The strikes on Sukkur and Jacobabad cut off southern and western mobility corridors, isolating troop movements and disrupting internal logistics.
Sialkot, situated close to the Indian border, and Pasrur, used for dispersal and emergency operations, were among the first to be hit. Their destruction left the eastern front exposed and denied Pakistan any forward-operating flexibility.
Meanwhile, India’s strikes on Chunian, a vital radar and communications site, and Skardu, a launch pad for high-altitude surveillance and operations in Gilgit-Baltistan, created critical surveillance gaps, particularly in the northern sector, further tilting strategic advantage in India’s favor.
However, the most consequential blow came with the decimation of Sargodha airbase (Mushaf Base) – which was long regarded as the nerve center of Pakistan’s air operations and nuclear delivery platforms. As home to the elite Combat Commanders School and key command-and-control functions, Sargodha’s destruction left the PAF disoriented, blind and incapable of mounting a coordinated response.
In the south, Bholari Airbase near Karachi that is one of Pakistan’s newest and most ambitious dual-use installations was also neutralised, erasing prospects of southern force projection and compromising coastal defense.
Within hours of this strategic blitz, Pakistan’s entire military doctrine faced a crushing reality: its frontline air defenses were shattered, its bases reduced to rubble and its strike capabilities paralysed. The once-theoretical threat of nuclear retaliation had been stripped of credibility by India’s precise and overwhelming display of conventional force.
Faced with catastrophic losses and no viable retaliatory options, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) reached out to his Indian counterpart, pleading for a ceasefire. The panic ran deeper behind the scenes. Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir immediately reached out to the United States, Saudi Arabia and China through back-channel communications and urged mediation to halt further Indian action. A national security advisor was appointed in the dead of night to manage what had become an uncontrolled crisis. But the damage had already been done.
India’s operation had left Pakistan with two stark choices: escalate further and risk total decimation or call for de-escalation. Pakistan chose to retreat – a decision that reflected effectiveness of India’s air campaign.
The success of ‘Operation Sindoor’ was not just in its tactical achievements, but in the strategic clarity it delivered. The airstrikes were not random punitive actions; they were deliberate demolitions of Pakistan’s ability to coordinate national defense, maintain air superiority or project credible force. By disabling radar networks, drone staging grounds, command hubs and frontline bases, New Delhi ensured that Islamabad would be left both blind and grounded for the foreseeable future.
What began as a show of nuclear brinkmanship by Islamabad ended with a reminder: India’s military response would not be confined to rhetoric or restrained countermeasures. It would be decisive, targeted and devastating. With the destruction of Pakistan’s air warfare infrastructure, India has not only deterred immediate aggression but fundamentally shifted the rules of engagement in the region.
The message was unambiguous: provocations, especially under the shadow of nuclear threats, will invite not just retaliation, but systematic dismantling. And as Pakistan turned to diplomatic back-channels to escape further punishment, one truth stood clear: India now holds the strategic initiative and the cost of miscalculation will be catastrophic.
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