'Decided to strike where it would hurt': Air Marshal on Op Sindoor

NEW DELHI: In a joint press briefing of defence officials on Sunday,

Air Marshal AK Bharti

confirmed that Pakistan attempted to breach Indian airspace using its fighter jets in response to India’s cross-border

counterterror actions

under 'Operation Sindoor'. However, the Indian Air Force successfully repelled the intrusion and downed “a few planes,” inflicting losses on Pakistan’s side.

He also reflected on the IAF’s decision to “strike where it would hurt,” pointing to the targeted assaults on major Pakistani airbases.“Their planes were prevented from entering inside our border... Definitely, we have downed a few planes... Definitely, there are losses on their side which we have inflicted,” said Air Marshal Bharti. He assured that “all our pilots are back home.”The briefing came as all three wings of India’s armed forces shed light on Operation Sindoor, the large-scale

military response

launched on May 7 following the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

Describing the strategic targeting, Air Marshal Bharti said, “A decision was taken to strike where it would hurt, and towards that, in a swift, coordinated, calibrated attack, we struck its air bases, command centers, military infrastructure, and air defence systems across the entire Western Front. The bases we struck include Chaklala, Rafiq, Rahim Yar Khan - sending a clear message that aggression will not be tolerated. This was followed by strikes at Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad.”When asked whether India had met its military goals, Bharti said, “Have we achieved our objectives of decimating the terrorist camps? The answer is a thumping yes, and the results are for the whole world to see.”He added, “All I can say is that we have achieved our objectives that we selected and all our pilots are back home.”Air Marshal Bharti also presented detailed video footage showcasing the impact of India's

precision air operations

on key Pakistani military installations as part of 'Operation Sindoor'. The visuals highlighted damage inflicted on multiple strategic targets, including Pasrur, Chunian, and Arifwala air defence radars, as well as major airfields at Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Chaklala (Nur Khan), Sukkur, Bholari, and Jacobabad.