New Delhi: India appeared to have gained an upper hand over Pakistan during the four-day military conflict, according to a detailed analysis by The New York Times that cited high-resolution satellite images. The images revealed that Indian strikes caused visible damage to several Pakistani military bases and airfields, giving India an edge in precision warfare.
The report described the clash as the most intense military engagement between the two nuclear-armed nations in the past fifty years. Both sides had used drones and missiles to test each other’s air defence systems and carry out attacks on military installations. While both countries claimed to have caused serious damage, the satellite images suggested that India inflicted more accurate and visible destruction, particularly on Pakistani military sites.
Indian strikes damaged key Pakistani bases: Report
According to the report, India’s attacks targeted key installations with precision. One of the significant hits was on an aircraft hangar at the Bholari Air Base, located less than 100 miles from Karachi. The satellite images clearly showed structural damage at the site. India’s focus during the second phase of the conflict was on disabling Pakistan’s defence infrastructure, and the images indicated that these efforts were largely successful.
Another sensitive site hit by Indian forces was the Nur Khan Air Base, which is located just 15 miles from the Pakistani Army’s headquarters and the Prime Minister’s office. This base is also near the command unit responsible for guarding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, making it one of the most strategically important locations attacked.
Runway strikes at Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan airports
The Indian Army reportedly used precision weapons to strike two sections of the runway at Sargodha Airport in Pakistan’s Punjab province. In another case, Pakistan issued a public notice on May 10 declaring the runway at Rahim Yar Khan Airport as non-functional, which aligned with India’s claim of targeting such infrastructure.
India also claimed to have hit radar installations at Pakistan’s Pasrur and Sialkot air bases, with satellite imagery showing evidence of destruction at those locations.
Pakistan’s damage claims questioned
The New York Times report questioned some of Pakistan’s counter-claims, particularly its assertion that it had damaged India’s Udhampur air base. Satellite images taken on May 12 did not show any visible damage to the Udhampur base, casting doubt on the credibility of Pakistan’s statements.
Overall, the report said that although both sides participated in widespread missile and drone strikes, India had a distinct advantage in terms of accuracy and the visible impact on Pakistani military installations. The conflict had been triggered by the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people, most of them tourists, were killed. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied territory.
