The May 10 strike took out the northern air command-control network at Nur Khan airbase

On May 10, 2025, Pakistan’s much-publicised Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos, launched in retaliation to India’s Operation Sindoor, collapsed after only eight hours of combat. The operation began at 1:00 am with Pakistan vowing to destroy Indian air bases within 48 hours, but by 9:30 am, its offensive capacity had been severely degraded by a series of intense Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes.

The IAF executed four major air strikes during the night, employing Rafale jets armed with SCALP missiles and SU-30 MKIs equipped with Brahmos missiles. The first wave of strikes targeted the Nur Khan airbase in Chaklala, crippling Pakistan’s northern air command-control network. Subsequent attacks hit Jacobabad and Bholari air bases. By the time the final strikes landed, Pakistan’s air defenses and air assets had been devastated, forcing Islamabad to urgently seek U.S. intervention for a ceasefire.

Throughout the brief conflict, the Pakistani Air Force’s response was minimal. Indian sources reported that Pakistan’s air force “hardly flew on May 10,” as Indian air and missile power dominated the skies. India’s S-400 air defense system, deployed at Adampur, engaged Pakistani aerial assets at least 11 times, successfully shooting down a SAAB-2000 airborne early warning system, a C-130J transport aircraft, a JF-17 fighter, and two F-16s, both on the ground and in the air. Indian strikes also destroyed advanced Chinese-supplied air defence systems: a LY-80 at Lahore was neutralised by a HARPY Kamikaze drone, and the prized HQ-9 system at Malir in Karachi was taken out by an Indian missile.

The Indian Navy, meanwhile, maneuvered its fleet within striking distance of Karachi Naval Port, prepared to launch Brahmos missiles. Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) warned that any attack on the port would trigger retaliation, but this threat did not deter Indian military or political leadership. By the afternoon of May 10, however, the Pakistani DGMO was urgently requesting a no-fire pact, signaling the effective collapse of Pakistan’s operational resistance.

The rapid and overwhelming Indian response, combining precision-guided munitions and advanced air defense systems, left Pakistan’s military infrastructure in disarray. Islamabad’s call for U.S. mediation marked the end of active hostilities. The ceasefire that followed was brokered with American involvement, and both sides agreed to halt further escalation, with normalcy gradually returning in the days after.

This episode underscored the intensity and technological sophistication of the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, marking a new phase in the military rivalry between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Based On HT Report