New Delhi, May 11: Air Marshal AK Bharti on Sunday asserted that India possesses the capability to strike every system at Pakistan’s military bases. His remarks follow the Indian Armed Forces’ recent precision operation, Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
In a press briefing here, Air Marshal Bharti informed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched calibrated airstrikes on nine identified terror sites, including camps in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur. The strikes came in retaliation to a massive drone assault by Pakistan on the night of May 8–9, which began at 10:30 PM and targeted multiple Indian locations such as Srinagar and Naliya.
“We have the capability to target every system at these bases and beyond,” Bharti stated. “However, our response was measured, aimed at deterring further escalation. We deliberately avoided civilian areas to prevent collateral damage.”
According to Bharti, India’s air defense systems successfully neutralized hundreds of incoming drones during the overnight attack. The drones, reportedly Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models, targeted 36 sites across India, including military and religious locations.
In response, India launched a swift and coordinated counterattack, striking Pakistani airbases, command centers, and surveillance radar installations in Lahore and Gujranwala. Air Marshal Bharti emphasized that the operation was focused on military targets to send a strong message without civilian casualties.
He also criticized Pakistan for allowing international civilian aircraft to operate out of Lahore during the drone offensive. “Permitting passenger flights during such hostile activity was highly irresponsible and forced us to act with extreme caution,” he noted.
Air Marshal Bharti said that while the objective wasn’t to inflict casualties, the targeted attacks were meant to force Pakistan to reassess the consequences of its actions.(With Agency Input)
