India’s Strategic Precision in Operation Sindoor: Six Pakistani Jets Downed, Targets Neutralised

 New Delhi, June 7 — India successfully neutralised multiple high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during Operation Sindoor, with top defence sources confirming the downing of at least six Pakistani fighter jets and a C-130J military transport aircraft. The coordinated operation was conducted in the early hours of May 7, in retaliation to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam a day earlier.

According to credible sources, Bahawalpur and Muridke—the long-established terrorist nerve centres in Pakistan—were identified as the primary targets during a high-level strategic meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, the three service chiefs, and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on April 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short his Saudi Arabia visit in response to the escalating situation, led the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) later that evening to finalise operational directives.

Contrary to speculation, defence sources categorically denied any foreign pressure influencing India's response. “There was no call between Prime Minister Modi and then U.S. President Donald Trump, and suggestions of American pressure for a ceasefire are entirely baseless,” a senior official said. Even during communications initiated by U.S. Senator JD Vance, the Prime Minister remained firm, asserting India’s sovereign right to self-defence.

The aerial strikes, executed between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on May 7, were meticulously timed to ensure night-vision footage could capture the destruction. In a deliberate tactical decision, the Indian Air Force refrained from crossing the Line of Control (LoC), leveraging advanced strike capabilities to neutralise targets without risking escalation across international borders—a lesson drawn from the 2019 Balakot operation involving Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Although India acknowledges limited losses in the early phase of Operation Sindoor, attributed to “tactical miscalculations,” top officials affirmed that all Indian pilots returned safely. The Pakistani Air Force, however, suffered significant losses. Defence intelligence indicates the destruction of F-16 and JF-17 fighter jets, a SAAB-2000 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), and the aforementioned C-130J.

The Indian Navy, while not actively engaged in combat, maintained a high state of readiness. Reports suggest Pakistan was wary of a possible maritime offensive targeting Karachi Port, prompting a cautious de-escalation on their part.

Sources also credited the emergency financial powers granted to the three service chiefs post-Galwan in 2020, which enabled swift procurement and enhanced force readiness in the lead-up to the operation.

In a notable political gesture, the government included key opposition leaders—Salman Khurshid, Shashi Tharoor, Asaduddin Owaisi, and Kanimozhi—in multi-party delegations aimed at strengthening India’s diplomatic messaging, both globally and domestically. “It was a deliberate move to present national unity in the face of external threats,” a senior source explained.

As Parliament prepares for its upcoming session, government sources have dismissed recent criticism by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as “ill-informed and politically short-sighted,” warning that such statements risk undermining national consensus on security matters.