More than seventy-one hours into the May 2025 confrontation between India and Pakistan, Islamabad launched a high-speed missile towards Delhi, CNBCTV18 reported.

This incident, revealed in Discovery’s two-part docuseries Declassified: Operation Sindoor, became the trigger for India’s most intense retaliatory assault. National security analyst Nitin Gokhale explained that the missile was intercepted over Sirsa in Haryana at around 1:30 am on 10 May.

The Ministry of Defence had earlier confirmed that Pakistan had launched a massive attack on Indian military infrastructure using missiles, drones, rockets and other long-range weapons, though it had not publicly identified Delhi as a target.

Indians awoke on 10 May to videos circulating of missile debris scattered in a field near Sirsa. Reports indicated that the threat was neutralised by the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system operated by an Indian Air Force unit stationed there.

According to Gokhale, this attack on the national capital signalled India to unleash its final retaliatory strike. Responsibility was handed to the Air Force, which deployed BrahMos cruise missiles in a coordinated assault.

Shortly after Pakistan’s attempted strikes, the Indian Air Force targeted airfields, radar installations and command centres deep inside Pakistani territory. This marked India’s first major strike on Pakistani airbases.

The initial wave hit Rafiqui, Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan and Nur Khan bases, followed by strikes on Sargodha, Bholari and Jacobabad. Within hours, eleven Pakistani bases had been struck. Air Marshal Awadesh Bharti emphasised that the intent was calibrated, designed to demonstrate India’s ability to strike at will without Pakistan being able to respond effectively.

Senior officers detailed the extensive damage inflicted on Pakistani airbases, including runways, hangars and aircraft. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later acknowledged the destruction caused by India’s missile and BrahMos attacks, including damage at Rawalpindi airport.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh explained that India engaged Pakistan across a front of 1,200 kilometres, penetrating nearly 200 kilometres inside its territory. He noted that all weapons reached their intended targets, underscoring the precision of the strikes.

The BrahMos-A cruise missile was central to this assault, with its high speed and destructive capability making interception nearly impossible. Singh highlighted that its indigenous origin added to its significance.

Within hours of the strikes, Pakistani officials sought urgent contact with New Delhi. Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, contacted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who in turn reached out to India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

India refused mediation, insisting that communication must occur directly between the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries. Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, India’s DGMO, received a message around 9 am that his Pakistani counterpart wished to speak. Technical issues delayed the hotline, but by 3:30 pm the two officers were able to connect.

Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah, Pakistan’s DGMO, requested a ceasefire, acknowledging the heavy damage inflicted by BrahMos strikes. He reportedly said: “Sir, having hit so many BrahMos missiles at us, you should now be satisfied, and we can bring this to a stop.”

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval confirmed that Pakistan repeatedly asked for hostilities to end. India agreed, and by 5:30 pm on 10 May both sides ceased fire. Doval stressed that India’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness, noting that India had demonstrated its ability to take risks and strike hard regardless of consequences.

The conclusion of Operation Sindoor conveyed a clear message to the world: India possessed both the capability and the resolve to respond decisively to aggression, while retaining control over escalation and disengagement.

Agencies