India’s Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, saw the Indian Air Force (IAF) execute precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) in May 2025.

The operation was characterised by a swift escalation after Pakistan retaliated, prompting Indian forces to target multiple Pakistani airbases and critical military infrastructure, including radars, hangars, aircraft, and command and coordination centres.

According to Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, the IAF was tasked initially with specific anti-terror operations, successfully hitting designated terrorist targets. When Pakistan chose to escalate militarily, Indian forces responded forcefully, inflicting significant damage across several key Pakistani military assets and installations.

"We were given terrorist targets. We accurately struck them. When our enemies refused to stop the war and tried to attack us, then we struck them nice and hard. Many of their bases were damaged. A lot of their infrastructure, radars, control and coordination centres, their hangars, aircraft suffered a lot of damage," he said.

The IAF chief highlighted that this second phase of strikes put Pakistani defences on the "back foot," leading to broad disruption of their air sovereignty and battlefield coordination capabilities.

The conflict witnessed robust joint planning among all branches of the Indian armed forces, with Air Chief Marshal Singh emphasising the role of clear directives and unrestricted operational freedom from political leadership.

Decision-making was expedited by the involvement of senior defence and security officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Adviser, ensuring synchronised action without bureaucratic delay.

The IAF chief referenced contemporary global conflicts, contrasting India’s rapid conflict resolution with protracted wars like those in Ukraine and Israel.

He articulated the strategic rationale for conflict termination: once the anti-terrorism objectives were accomplished, extending hostilities would have had disproportionate costs for preparedness and the economy.

The operation concluded swiftly after Pakistan initiated a call for cessation of hostilities at the level of Director General Military Operations, with India accepting only after degrading the adversary’s offensive capacity and ensuring its strategic aims were met.

Air Chief Marshal Singh lauded India’s ability to set clear objectives, achieve them with precision, and disengage decisively, billing this as a model for efficient conflict management with lessons for the global community.

He further underscored that the Indian armed forces now function with unprecedented levels of political support and inter-service coordination, marking a notable evolution from prior operations such as the 2019 Balakot strike.

Based On ANI Report