The Pakistan Army reportedly lost nearly 35 to 40 personnel between May 7-10 in firing across the Line of Control, when India launched retaliatory counterstrikes responding to its aggression, said the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai at a special press briefing on Sunday.
“On the night of 8-9 May, they (Pakistan) flew drones and aircraft into our airspace all across the borders and made largely unsuccessful attempts to target numerous military infrastructure. Violations on the LoC by Pakistan also commenced yet again and precipitated into fierce engagements,” said Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai.
“The Pakistan Army is reported to have lost approximately 35 to 40 personnel in artillery and small arms firing on the Line of Control between the 7th and the 10th of May. What the other side had probably also not reckoned with was the speedy and precise turnaround and hit-back by the Indian Air Force,” the top officer added.
The officer stressed that Operation Sindoor, launched as a retaliatory counterstrike against the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, was conceptualised with a clear military aim to punish the perpetrators and planners of terror and to destroy their terror infrastructure.
Air Marshal AK Bharti said that India struck Pakistani airbases, command centres, military infrastructure, and air defence systems across the entire Western Front in a coordinated and calibrated manner.
“The bases we struck include Chaklala, Rafiqui, and Rahim Yar Khan, sending a clear message that aggression will not be tolerated. This was followed by strikes at Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad,” he pointed out.
He said that the Army’s focus was not on counting the casualties but on hitting the terror targets.
“Our aim was not to inflict casualties, but in case there have been, it is for them to count. Our job is to hit the target, not to count the body bags,” he said.