Pakistan Admits Indian Drones Hit Nur Khan Air Base Under Operation Sindoor

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in a detailed year-end press briefing on Saturday, inadvertently provided a significant acknowledgment of India's military prowess by confirming that Indian drones successfully penetrated Pakistani airspace and inflicted damage on the critical Nur Khan Air Base located in Rawalpindi's Chaklala area. Dar revealed that India deployed at least 80 drones over a 36-hour period, with Pakistani defenses managing to intercept 79, allowing only one to cause substantial damage to a military installation and result in injuries to stationed personnel. This statement marks a rare instance of official Pakistani confirmation regarding the effectiveness of Indian precision operations.

Dar characterized the strike, which occurred in the early hours of May 10, as a grave "mistake" on India's part, while detailing the sequence of events that followed the initial escalation. He noted that Pakistan's civil and military leadership, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, convened an urgent meeting on the night of May 9 to authorize responsive measures. These admissions align with prior indirect acknowledgments from Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Sharif's earlier disclosure of a late-night call from Army Chief General Asim Munir informing him of the attack, and statements from advisors about the brief window to assess incoming threats.

The broader context of Operation Sindoor traces back to India's resolute retaliatory action launched on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in direct response to the devastating April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians. Satellite imagery from reputable sources, including Maxar Technologies, captured on subsequent dates revealed extensive damage to multiple Pakistani air bases, corroborating the scale and precision of the Indian strikes on facilities such as Nur Khan, Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad, and others.

Also Read: Pak Army Ramps Up Counter-UAS Deployments Along Line of Control After Operation Sindoor

Retired Indian Army Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon strongly refuted Dar's attempt to minimize the impact, labeling the foreign minister's claims of "minor damage and injuries" as disingenuous. Dhillon referenced Pakistani media reports from August 2025 that listed 138 personnel receiving posthumous gallantry awards for actions related to the operation, suggesting actual casualties could exceed 400-500. He highlighted civilian-recorded videos showing Nur Khan base engulfed in flames and emphasized that all targeted air bases sustained severe damage, underscoring the operation's strategic success despite ongoing Pakistani efforts to downplay it.

These revelations not only validate the operational effectiveness of India's armed forces in executing calibrated and targeted responses but also expose inconsistencies in Pakistan's narrative amid persistent regional tensions. The public concessions, even when framed critically, reinforce the deterrent impact of Operation Sindoor while highlighting the challenges Islamabad faces in maintaining a unified stance on cross-border military engagements.

Also Read: ADB Signs $730 Million Financing Agreements with Pakistan