A recently released Pakistani dossier has revealed that India struck more targets within Pakistan during Operation Sindoor than initially disclosed by Indian authorities. The document, detailing Pakistan's own "Operation Bunyan un Marsoos," inadvertently confirms the extent of the damage inflicted by India and suggests that the destruction was far greater than what India officially stated. This revelation potentially explains Pakistan's quick call for a ceasefire and undercuts their earlier claims of inflicting heavy losses on India.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7th in response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where 26 Indian civilians were killed by Pakistani militants on April 22nd. India initially reported destroying nine terror camps across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan. When Pakistan attempted a counter-attack, India escalated its strikes, targeting Pakistani army bases and air defense systems.
According to the Pakistani dossier, India targeted at least seven additional sites beyond those publicly confirmed, bringing the total to 28 locations. These newly revealed locations include Peshawar, Jhang, Hyderabad (Sindh), Gujrat (Punjab), Gujranwala, Bahawalnagar, Attock, and Chor. These locations were not acknowledged as targets by Indian officials during or after the hostilities. The inclusion of cities like Peshawar and Hyderabad Sindh, which are located over 1,000 km and 700 km respectively from the Line of Control, indicates the depth of the Indian strikes.
The dossier also reveals that India specifically targeted four air bases: Murid, Rafiqui, Masroor, and Samungli. However, high-resolution commercial satellite images have shown damage to 11 military sites struck by India, including Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Parur, Chunian, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Bholari, Jacobabad, and Gujranwala. Furthermore, India struck a radar site in Lahore, destroying an air defense system, and targeted the missile site at Malir Cantonment in Karachi.
The Indian military has maintained that its operations were conducted with precision to avoid civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. The dossier does not explicitly state whether the targeted sites were civilian or military, but if the sites were military bases, it highlights the effectiveness and reach of India's attack.
The disclosure of these additional targets by Pakistan raises questions about their motives. Some analysts suggest that Pakistan might be attempting to portray India as targeting civilian areas deep inside Pakistan in front of the global community. However, if the sites were indeed military, it would further emphasize the success of Operation Sindoor and explain Pakistan's urgency in calling for a ceasefire on May 10th.
The Indian Army has released video evidence of the strikes during Operation Sindoor, showing military firing and shelling on Pakistani territory. The operation targeted key terrorist infrastructure, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba training center in Muridke, as well as other locations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that India's fierce attacks on May 10th forced Pakistan to plead for an end to the hostilities. India has asserted that Operation Sindoor reflects its new approach in combating cross-border terrorism from Pakistan and its resolve to not succumb to Islamabad's nuclear blackmail.
