Shot down 13 Pakistani Aircraft, Destroyed 11 Airfields: Air Marshal Bharti on 1 Year of Operation Sindoor 

Jaipur (IANS): Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, who served as Director General of Air Operations during last year’s military action, revealed on Thursday that Indian forces decimated 13 Pakistani aircraft and 11 airfields during Operation Sindoor.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur to mark the operation’s first anniversary, the Deputy Chief of Air Staff outlined a successful campaign that dismantled the adversary’s strategic infrastructure without incurring damage to Indian civilian or military assets.

Strategic Success and Joint Command

Air Marshal Bharti confirmed that the operation destroyed nine terrorist hideouts within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He emphasized that the central leadership granted the armed forces total operational freedom, allowing the Army, Navy, and Air Force to execute a unified strategy.

“When our desire for peace is mistaken for weakness, we have no choice but to act,” Bharti stated. “And when we act, there is no room for leniency. It is decisive, lethal and translates into Operation Sindoor.”

Objectives and Hostilities

Responding to public questions regarding the cessation of hostilities, the Air Marshal explained that the mission targeted specific terrorist elements and support networks rather than the general population. He noted that the conflict escalated only when the Pakistani establishment chose to “side with terror” and adopt the fight as their own.

“At that point, it was no longer merely a counter-terrorism operation; it became an act of self-defense,” he said. “Our response was lethal and ruthless.”

He clarified that India paused the operation only after Pakistan sought a cessation following significant losses. “We paused when the request came, we stepped back, but we didn’t blink,” Bharti added. “We had delivered the clear message that misadventure will not go unanswered. Acts of terror will carry consequences.”

Lessons in Air Power

The Air Marshal highlighted that Operation Sindoor reaffirmed the “primacy of air power” and the necessity of having a clear conflict termination strategy. He warned that without such criteria, nations risk losing direction during active combat.

He concluded by asserting that India now possesses firsthand confirmation of the adversary’s tactical capacities. “We now have firsthand confirmation of the capabilities, capacities and tactics,” he said, adding that terrorists across the border should remain “worried” as India can now see through their manoeuvres.