Pakistan has conceded that it suffered heavy losses during India’s Operation Sindoor, admitting that at least 13 of its military personnel were killed in the precision strikes carried out on May 9-10. The acknowledgement comes more than three months after the operation and follows growing domestic scrutiny over the government’s silence regarding Indian military action.
According to reports, Pakistan has now confirmed more than 50 fatalities during the strikes, including Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf, who was killed during the bombing of the Bholari airbase. The confirmation reportedly came during an annual awards ceremony at the President House in Islamabad.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presented the honours to the fallen personnel on August 14, coinciding with Pakistan’s Independence Day. Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf, Havaldar Muhammad Naveed, Naik Waqar Khalid and Lance Naik Dilawar Khan were posthumously awarded the Tamgha-i-Basalat. Naik Abdul Rehman, Lance Naik Ikramullah and Sepoy Adeel Akbar received the Tamgha-i-Jurat.
However, multiple reports suggest that Pakistan’s own internal citations and gallantry awards now point to devastating losses inflicted during the operation, with as many as 146 posthumous medals awarded to personnel killed in the Indian strikes, a toll far higher than what has been publicly admitted, and one which reportedly forced the Pakistan DGMO to urgently seek a ceasefire.
Also read: PM Modi hails Op Sindoor heroes on I-Day, says enemies punished
During Operation Sindoor, Indian forces struck multiple sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting terror camps and related infrastructure. The attacks took place in response to the April 22 terror assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists and was later claimed by The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The Indian operation is reported to have destroyed nine terrorist bases, including those located at Nur Khan, Sargodha, Jacobabad, Bholari and Shorkot. Sources said several personnel were also injured, including American technicians at the Nur Khan airbase.
New Delhi has claimed that more than 100 terrorists were eliminated during the strikes, describing the operation as a decisive blow to cross-border terrorism.
While Islamabad had initially claimed that losses were “minimal”, analysts noted that the silence surrounding the scale of the casualties fuelled speculation both at home and abroad. The latest admission is being seen as a reluctant acknowledgement of India’s military effectiveness during the four-day exchange of fire in May.
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