What Led to India's Unprecedented Airstrikes on Pakistan's Military Bases?

Significant Airstrikes by India

New Delhi: On Saturday, Indian airstrikes inflicted considerable damage on at least six airfields in Pakistan, targeting runways and military structures in what experts describe as the most extensive military action by India in years of ongoing tensions with its neighbor.

A detailed visual assessment by a prominent news outlet, utilizing over two dozen satellite images and videos from the aftermath, revealed that the strikes severely impacted three aircraft hangars, two runways, and two mobile air force facilities, with some targets located as far as 100 miles within Pakistani territory.

Walter Ladwig, a senior lecturer in international relations at King’s College London and a specialist in South Asian security, remarked, “This represents the most significant Indian air operations against Pakistani military assets since the 1971 conflict.”

Geospatial analyst William Goodhind noted that the strikes aimed at high-value targets to significantly impair Pakistan’s air defense and offensive capabilities.

Jeffrey Lewis, who directs the East Asia nonproliferation program at Middlebury College, commented that while the bases sustained damage, it was not enough to incapacitate them.

India asserted that it targeted 11 Pakistani bases, describing the operation as 'measured' and 'calibrated.' The news outlet confirmed damage at several of these locations.

Pakistan's chief military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, acknowledged damage to infrastructure but did not disclose the exact number of sites affected. On Wednesday, the military reported six fatalities within the air force and confirmed hits on five military installations and one civilian airport. Chaudhry claimed that most Indian missiles were intercepted but admitted, 'A few managed to sneak in.'

Christopher Clary, an associate professor at the University at Albany, stated, 'The satellite evidence supports the assertion that the Indian military caused significant, though not catastrophic, damage to the Pakistan air force across several bases in eastern Pakistan.'

In response, Pakistan quickly retaliated, launching counterstrikes aimed at military targets in Indian-administered Kashmir and the Indian state of Punjab. India has denied or refrained from confirming any losses.

Pakistan also claimed to have downed five Indian warplanes during the initial wave of strikes on May 7. While India has not publicly addressed this, the news outlet's analysis indicated that at least two Indian fighter jets crashed during the operation.

The escalation raised concerns in Washington, where officials feared that the nuclear-armed adversaries were on the verge of war. A cease-fire was announced shortly thereafter by then-President Donald Trump.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later indicated that India had 'paused' its operations but remained ready to respond if another militant attack occurred, referencing the April 22 bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir that resulted in 26 civilian deaths. India attributed the attack to Pakistan, a claim that Islamabad denied, calling for an international investigation.

Among the affected sites was Nur Khan air base near Rawalpindi, a crucial transport hub for Pakistan’s military, situated close to the Strategic Plans Division, which manages the country’s 170 nuclear warheads. Satellite imagery reviewed by Goodhind indicated that two mobile control centers at the base were destroyed, with smoke visible from surrounding areas.

In Rawalpindi, which also houses Pakistan’s General Headquarters and Joint Staff Headquarters, the strike raised alarms about potential targeting of central command facilities. An anonymous military source stated that the attack 'could have been perceived as an attempt to eliminate the country’s control center.'

At Bholari air base, a hangar typically used for a Saab 2000 airborne early warning aircraft was struck, leaving a 60-foot-wide hole in its roof. It remains uncertain whether the aircraft was present during the attack.

Shahbaz air base, exclusively used by the military, also sustained damage, with another hangar showing a 100-foot-wide hole and the control tower affected. Satellite images revealed collapsed structures at Sukkur Airport, which serves both civilian and military purposes, along with the destruction of an apparent radar site.

Large craters were visible on the runways at Mushaf air base and Sheikh Zayed International Airport, with repairs underway at Mushaf the following day, according to satellite images.

Pakistan confirmed that five air force personnel were killed at Bholari and one at Mushaf.

An English-language newspaper in Pakistan reported that the Royal Lounge at Sheikh Zayed airport, named after the UAE’s founder, also suffered significant damage.

Ladwig noted, 'This operation signifies a deliberate change in strategy,' highlighting that India’s previous military responses were largely limited to Kashmir or remote areas in Pakistan. 'Now, India is viewing terrorist attacks as justification for conventional military responses.'