From Rafale Missiles to Kamikaze Drones: How India Shattered Pakistan’s Defences in 4 Days

New Delhi: In the aftermath of the US-brokered ceasefire between India and Pakistan, fresh details have emerged about the extensive damage inflicted on Pakistan during the four-day military escalation sparked by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. According to senior Indian defence officials, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, delivering a decisive blow to Pakistan’s terror and military infrastructure through coordinated air and ground strikes.

“We smashed the terror infrastructure there, hit their air defences and targeted several of their airbases. The Indian forces had a good run during the last four days. Pakistan’s counter-offensive was mostly thwarted,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.

As per HT sources present during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s briefing with political leaders, Indian precision strikes destroyed nine terror training camps within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), killing approximately 100 terrorists in just 26 minutes. These targets were chosen based on strong intelligence linking them to prior terror activity.

The Indian Air Force deployed a wide array of advanced weaponry, including Rafale-launched SCALP cruise missiles, Hammer smart bombs, M777 howitzers with Excalibur rounds, and kamikaze drones. Five of the destroyed terror sites were located 9–30 km inside PoK, while the rest were 6–100 km across the International Border in Pakistan.

On the night of May 8–9, Pakistan launched attacks on 36 Indian locations, including Leh, Jammu, Bathinda, and Sir Creek, using up to 400 Turkish-made Songar armed drones. Most were shot down. In retaliation, the IAF destroyed several Pakistani air defence positions in Lahore and Karachi, crippling radar coverage and weapon stockpiles.

A senior defence source said, “The strikes threw Pakistan off balance. It launched a hurried counter-offensive that achieved little. Overall, India’s four-day report card outshines theirs.”

On May 10, in what was considered the most significant night of the confrontation, India launched surgical precision airstrikes on eight key military sites deep inside Pakistan, including airbases in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot. These attacks targeted radar stations, command and control centres, and ammunition depots.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, speaking post-ceasefire, said:

“There has been extensive damage to crucial Pakistani airbases like Skardu, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari. Also, loss of air defence weapons and radars made the defence of Pakistani airspace untenable. Across the LoC, extensive and precise damage to military infrastructure, command and control centres and logistics installations led to a complete breakdown of its defensive and offensive capabilities.”

Despite the ceasefire, reports of Pakistani violations along the LoC surfaced, though no fresh escalation was reported as of Saturday. Both sides have suffered military and civilian losses, but Indian forces appear to have gained strategic and tactical upper hand, with multiple Pakistani assets rendered inoperable.

As per US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the ceasefire came after intense back-channel diplomacy involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, and senior military leadership.