The North News
New Delhi, May 11
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), on Sunday said that strikes between May 7 and 10 had killed 35–40 Pakistani soldiers and over 100 terrorists. Among those terrorists killed, he said , were high-value targets including Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed—allegedly linked to the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2019 Pulwama attack.
In a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor, Indian defence officials said the armed forces executed a coordinated air, land, and sea offensive earlier this week, destroying multiple terror targets and eliminating dozens of militants across the Line of Control (LoC).
Air Marshal AK Bharti of the Indian Air Force confirmed that Pakistani aircraft had been prevented from breaching Indian airspace and said some were shot down, though he declined to give numbers. “We don’t have wreckage with us, but definitely, we have downed a few Pakistani planes,” Bharti said. “We are still in a combat scenario… Our objectives have been achieved, and all our pilots are back home.”
Vice Admiral AN Pramod emphasised the Indian Navy’s role, asserting it maintained complete maritime domain awareness throughout the operation. He described the naval response as “measured, proportionate, non-escalatory, and responsible,” adding that the force had been “fully capable of offensive action from and at sea” and operated in tight coordination with the army and air force.
According to Ghai, the operation achieved “total surprise” and targeted nine key terror hubs. Satellite images showing the destruction of these camps were displayed by Air Marshal Bharti.
The briefing also addressed diplomatic developments. Lt Gen Ghai disclosed that on May 10, Pakistan’s DGMO reached out via hotline in the wake of escalating military action. While an agreement was reached to halt cross-border firing and air intrusions effective from 1700 hours that day, Ghai said the ceasefire was violated by Pakistan within hours, with drone incursions and fresh firing along the western front.
India responded “robustly,” Ghai said, and the Chief of Army Staff has since authorised field commanders to take direct counteraction in the event of further provocations.
