In a major development during the recent escalation between India and Pakistan, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah confirmed in public that six Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel, including officers and technicians, were killed when Indian airstrikes carried out Operation Sindoor against the Bholari airbase in Sindh province.
A top Pakistani official’s direct admission supports India’s claim that its strikes were directed at military targets, refuting Islamabad’s previous allegations that Indian operations had killed civilians.
India’s assertion that it targets military locations rather than people is supported by admission.
One of Pakistan’s most sophisticated and strategically significant airbases is Bholari, which is less than 100 miles from Karachi and was put into service in December 2017. It is thought to support marine operations and perhaps house nuclear equipment in addition to housing the 19 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), which operates F-16A/B Block 15 ADF planes.
Following the strikes, satellite imagery showed significant damage to a main hangar at the base, and there was evidence that aircraft, presumably including a SAAB-2000 Erieye AWACS, were either destroyed or seriously damaged. Pakistan’s air defense capabilities in the southern sector are thought to have suffered a serious setback with the loss of such assets, particularly an AWACS platform.
India started Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The Indian Air Force (IAF) used cutting-edge weapons including BrahMos air-launched cruise missiles to carry out pinpoint strikes on almost a dozen Pakistani airbases, including Bholari, on May 7.
Bholari was among the most severely affected because of its strategic importance. The raids targeted important military facilities throughout Pakistan, including runways, hangars, radar systems, and ammunition dumps.
Strong proof that India’s strikes were intended to weaken Pakistan’s military capabilities rather than target civilians may be found in the chief minister of Sindh’s statement and high-resolution satellite imagery examined by both Indian and international media. Retired Pakistani Air Force leaders’ comments that important assets like AWACS planes were lost during the Bholari raids have further reinforced this.
The extent of the damage done to Pakistan’s military infrastructure has been confirmed by the world press, including publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Pakistan attempted retaliation assaults on Indian military stations on May 8, 9, and 10 in response to India’s strikes, but India responded with more counterattacks on other Pakistani military locations.
Thus, the verification of military losses and damage at Bholari represents a turning point in the war, supporting India’s claim of precise military targeting and discrediting Islamabad’s allegations of civilian casualties.
PAF troops and vital assets were lost as a result of Indian airstrikes during Operation Sindoor that targeted and severely damaged the Bholari airbase, according to the Sindh Chief Minister’s confirmation backed by satellite images and international reporting.
In addition to confirming India’s assertions, this development is a significant blow to Pakistan’s regional air defense position.
