In a rare public admission, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has acknowledged that the Indian Armed Forces’ BrahMos missile strike on the night of May 9-10 caught Pakistan’s military off-guard. The strikes were in retaliation for Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks on civilian areas along India’s western frontier.
Speaking at a diplomatic event in Lachin, Azerbaijan, Sharif revealed that Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, who has now been promoted to Field Marshal, had planned a retaliatory strike against India after the morning Fajr prayers on May 10. However, India acted first with a precision missile offensive, neutralizing multiple military targets before dawn.
“We were preparing to respond in a measured fashion. But before 4:30 AM even arrived, India launched BrahMos missiles, targeting key provinces and military bases, including the Rawalpindi airport,” Sharif said.
The admission came in the presence of Field Marshal Asim Munir and marks the first time Islamabad has publicly acknowledged the scale and surprise of the Indian military operation.
Nur Khan Airbase Among 11 Pakistani Military Sites Hit
According to Indian defense sources, at least 11 Pakistani air bases and military installations were hit during the pre-dawn offensive. The Nur Khan airbase, located near the Pakistan Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, was one of the main targets. It houses strategic aircraft, including Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Ilyushin Il-78 aerial refueling jets.
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Analysis of satellite imagery post-strike indicates visible damage to at least two military transport vehicles, confirming the effectiveness of India’s strikes.
Other targeted airbases include Rafiqui Airbase, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha.
15 BrahMos Missiles Launched from Su-30MKI Jets
According to highly placed Indian defense officials, the strike involved the launch of around 15 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from Su-30MKI fighter jets. These missiles, jointly developed by India and Russia, have a range of up to 300 km and are known for their fire-and-forget capabilities.
The BrahMos missiles successfully bypassed Pakistan’s Chinese-origin air defense systems, delivering precision strikes on hardened military infrastructure. The operation is being hailed as a significant demonstration of India’s deterrent capabilities and technological superiority in regional military tactics.
India’s missile retaliation came in the wake of escalating tensions following Pakistani provocations, including drone and rocket shelling targeting civilian habitations in border districts of Rajasthan and Punjab.
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By targeting high-value airbases such as Nur Khan and Sargodha, the Indian Armed Forces aimed to deliver a measured yet powerful message: that any act of aggression would be met with a swift, precise, and overwhelming military response.
Though Pakistan has been attempting to rally international support, only a handful of nations, such as Azerbaijan, have openly supported Islamabad’s version of events. The international community, particularly the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), is closely monitoring the developments amid fresh calls to re-list Pakistan on the grey list for terror financing.
