Daijiworld Media Network – Islamabad
Islamabad, Dec 28: Pakistan has, for the first time, officially acknowledged that India carried out a drone strike on the Nur Khan airbase during Operation Sindoor in May, while president Asif Ali Zardari admitted he was advised to take shelter in a bunker during the conflict — but refused.
Addressing a public gathering on Saturday, Zardari revealed that his military secretary had urged him to move to a bunker after India launched the strikes. “He came to me and said that ‘war has begun. Let’s go to the bunkers.’ But I told him that if martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield,” Zardari said, indicating the heightened alarm within Islamabad’s power corridors after India’s operation began.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari (left) and foreign minister Ishaq Dar
India had launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, 2025, in retaliation for the April 26 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. Zardari claimed he was aware of the conflict four days in advance.
However, his account was challenged by retired Indian Army Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon, who said the Pakistani political leadership and top military brass had in fact taken refuge in bunkers. “Even Asim Munir (Pakistan Army chief) was inside the bunker when India attacked. The political leadership and military commanders were in the bunkers. Only their soldiers were fighting it out, and they got killed. Even this is a lie that he knew it four days in advance. If they knew it four days in advance, why couldn’t they stop a single missile from hitting nine targets?” Dhillon said.
Under the operation, the Indian Army and Air Force destroyed at least nine terrorist camps and eliminated over a hundred terrorists. Pakistan attempted missile and drone attacks on Indian cities, all of which failed. Unable to sustain further losses, Pakistani commanders eventually sought a ceasefire, bringing the conflict to an end on May 10.
Separately, Pakistan has also admitted that Indian drones targeted the Nur Khan Airbase in Chaklala, Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the strike caused damage to military infrastructure and injured personnel.
Dar said India launched 80 drones over 36 hours, of which 79 were intercepted, while one drone successfully struck the Nur Khan Airbase on the morning of May 10, 2025. Following the strike, an emergency meeting of Pakistan’s civil and military leadership was convened under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Nur Khan Airbase is a major Pakistan Air Force installation. Reports indicate that during Operation Sindoor, 11 airbases, including Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad, and Muridke, were targeted. India had launched the operation on May 7, initially destroying nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Challenging Pakistan’s claims of limited losses, Lt Gen Dhillon noted that Pakistani media themselves acknowledged casualties during the operation. A Samaa TV report dated August 14, 2025, cited 138 personnel killed during Operation Sindoor, contradicting Pakistan’s official statements.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier confirmed the attacks, adding that Army chief General Asim Munir had briefed him on May 9–10. In July, Prime Minister’s adviser Rana Sanaullah acknowledged that Pakistan had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether a missile heading towards Nur Khan carried a nuclear warhead, highlighting the immediacy of the threat.
The combined revelations underscore the intensity of Operation Sindoor and provide insight into Pakistan’s internal response, revealing both the military and political anxiety at the highest levels. While Zardari emphasised personal courage in remaining above ground, the Pakistani leadership faced a stark reality as India’s tactical strikes, supported by extensive drone operations, inflicted significant losses and forced a ceasefire.