35-40 Pak Army Personnel Killed Across LOC Firing, India DGMO Said In A Media Briefing

On Sunday evening, India’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)  Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai held a media briefing on Operation Sindoor with senior officers from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force at the National Media Centre.

The DGMO started by mentioning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in India’s Jammu and Kashmir that killed at least 26 civilians. 

As a retaliation, Operation Sindoor was conceptualized with a clear military aim, “to punish the perpetrators and planners of terror and to destroy their terror infrastructure.” He also said that the call for cessation came from Pakistan.

Operation Sindoor Media Briefing | Top Points

1. The precision strikes killed more than 100 terrorists, including high value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudasir Ahmed that were involved in the hijack of IC814 and the Pulwama blast.

2. The Pakistan Army has reported to have lost approximately 35 to 40 personnel in artillery and small arms firing on the Line of Control (LoC) between 7th and 10th May, India’s DGMO said.

3. Air Marshal AK Bharti mentioned that Pakistan’s planes were stopped from entering inside India’s border and that India “downed a few planes.” 

4. On the intervening night of May 8 and 9, starting around 10:30 PM,  Pakistan flew drones and aircraft into India’s airspace all across the borders, from Srinagar to Naliya. The attempt to attack India’s military infrastructure was largely unsuccessful.

5. On the night of May 9 and 10, India saw another intrusions by drones and aircraft. The target was airfields and important logistic installations. The attacks were thwarted by the integrated Indian Air Force and Indian Army air defence.

6. Vice Admiral AN Pramod said that, "this time if Pakistan dares to take any action, Pakistan knows what we are going to do."

7. The Air Marshal  stated that all of India’s pilots are back home as India’s objective has been achieved.

8. Operation Sindoor was committed to target only terrorist hubs and prevent collateral damage. The sites attacked were in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and in Punjab Province in Pakistan. 

9. Lastly, India’s DGMO paid homage to five fallen colleagues from the armed forces and civilians who tragically lost their lives in Operation Sindoor. “Our hearts go out to the bereaved families.Their sacrifices shall always be remembered,” he said.

Air Marshal A.K. Bharti said that “we are in a combat situation and losses are a part of combat”, answering to the media query about Pakistan's claim to have downed Indian fighter jets. He did not share further details.

"The question you must ask us is... have we achieved our objective of decimating the terrorist camps? And the answer is a thumping yes. And the results are for the whole world to see," the Air Marshal further said.

The DGMO, when asked what happens if Pakistan attacks via drones or otherwise now that the ceasefire is in place, mentioned that India’s response will be “fierce” and “punitive”. 

The DGMO said that after his conversation with Pakistan DGMO on May 10, a cessation of cross-border firing and air intrusions by either side was put in place from 5:00 PM yesterday. However, the Pakistan Army violated the arrangements by cross border and across LoC firing. Drone intrusions were also reported through last night and in the early hours of Sunday. 

A hotline message was sent to the Pakistan DGMO on May 11 that mentioned the violations of the understanding.

He said that ceasefire understandings take time to manifest on ground. However, the armed forces remain on high alert.