Over 100 Pakistani Soldiers Killed During Operation Sindoor, Says Top Indian General

More than 100 Pakistani soldiers were killed in skirmishes along the Line of Control (LoC) during the four-day Operation Sindoor in May, a senior Indian Army official revealed on Tuesday. The operation, described as “a fusion of India’s military precision, diplomatic agility, informational superiority, and economic leverage,” was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, India’s deputy chief of army staff (strategy) and director general of military operations (DGMO) at the time of the clash, said Pakistan inadvertently revealed its casualties in its August 14 Independence Day awards list. “Our initial estimate was 35–40 casualties, but the Pakistanis, possibly unwittingly, let out the number of posthumous awards, which suggested over 100 deaths on the LoC,” Ghai told military leaders from 32 countries.

Operation Sindoor began in the early hours of May 7, with the Indian Army and Air Force striking terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Between May 7 and the ceasefire on May 10, Indian forces targeted nine terror camps, killing at least 100 terrorists, while the IAF struck 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations.

Ghai highlighted the precision and controlled nature of India’s operations. “Our military actions were targeted, controlled, non-escalatory, and openly acknowledged to maintain our credibility,” he said, adding that India also deployed forces strategically and applied pressure through forward deployments.

The DGMO detailed specific targets hit by the IAF and Army: on May 7, airstrikes hit Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur and Markaz Taiba near Muridke, while the Army struck seven locations including Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot and Gulpur in Kotli. On May 9–10, the IAF struck military targets at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Sialkot, Skardu, Sargodha, and multiple sites in Karachi.

Ghai noted that Pakistan was warned against escalation, including potential strikes from the Indian Navy, during direct communications between the two countries’ DGMOs. He emphasized that India had “war-gamed” the conflict multiple steps ahead of unfolding events.

He also compared Operation Sindoor with past Indian military responses, including Operation Parakram after the 2001 Parliament attack, surgical strikes after the 2016 Uri attack, and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. “This time, due to the intensity and magnitude of the Pahalgam attack, we acted differently, striking deep into Pakistan to achieve strategic surprise,” he said.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh previously stated that Pakistan lost 12–13 aircraft, including US-made F-16s and Chinese-origin JF-17s, during the strikes. He dismissed Pakistani claims of downing Indian jets as “fanciful tales” intended for domestic audiences, marking the first official confirmation of Pakistan’s air losses during Operation Sindoor.