‘IAF hit 11 Pakistani air bases’
Sajid Raina
New Delhi, Oct 14: Director General Military Operations (DGMO) and Army’s Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai on Tuesday said that India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was measured, meticulously planned and carried out with precision.
Speaking at a function here, Lt Gen Ghai, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) described the Pahalgam attack — in which 26 tourists were shot dead by terrorists — as a “sponsored” cross-Line of Control (LoC) strike in which terrorists singled out victims on the basis of community. “They asked for the community that they came from and shot them in cold blood in front of their families and loved ones,” he said.
“There were immediate claimers; this was ‘glory’. However, when the Kashmir Resistance Front initially claimed the attack, they realised that matters had possibly gone beyond their control, and they immediately withdrew,” Lt Gen Ghai added, underscoring that while a response was inevitable, the armed forces intentionally took time to plan and prioritise targets.
He said operations evolved between April 22 and the night of May 6–7, during which precautionary deployments were made along borders and multiple services and government agencies coordinated closely. “The final selection of targets was carried out from a large number of targets that we scrutinised,” he said, noting a concurrent “harmonised and proactive information warfare campaign.”
Describing the military escalation in early May, Lt Gen Ghai said drone activity intensified even after two DGMOs had addressed the situation, prompting the Indian Air Force to act. In precision strikes on the nights of May 9 and 10, he said, Indian forces struck 11 Pakistani air bases — damaging eight bases, three hangars and four radars — and destroyed several Pakistani air assets on the ground.
He also claimed the destruction of one C-130 class aircraft, one AEW (airborne early warning) platform, and “four to five fighter jets,” with some assets also destroyed in the air.
“We now know that the world’s longest ever ground-to-air kill was at 300 kilometres plus and five high-tech fighters,” Lt Gen Ghai said, adding that the “impunity” with which the attacks were conducted by the perpetrators was a key factor prompting a strong response.
All figures and operational details were attributed by Lt Gen Ghai to India’s operational account of the events. The DGMO emphasised that the deliberate timing and multi-service coordination of the response reflected the armed forces’ flexibility and intent to deliver a carefully calibrated, effective retaliation.
The Army Deputy Chief while referring to the turmoil that prevailed in J&K for three decades, as per KNO, said, “Over 1,00,000 people, including around 60,000 minority families, had to leave Jammu and Kashmir since 1990 due to threats and violence.”
He said, “More than 15,000 civilians and 3,000 security personnel lost their lives in the region over the years.” (KNO)
