Weather Saved Pak's Skardu Base During Op Sindoor, But Bholari Took the IAF's Direct Hit - NDTV
India’s *Operation Sindoor* claims a successful hit on Pakistan’s Bholari airbase, while Pakistan says weather protected its Skardu base. Former CDS Anil Chauhan suggested a loitering munition may have struck the contested Kirana Hills and hinted at a possible U.S. briefing on the cease‑fire.
AI Objective Summary
India’s *Operation Sindoor* claims a successful hit on Pakistan’s Bholari airbase, while Pakistan says weather protected its Skardu base. Former CDS Anil Chauhan suggested a loitering munition may have struck the contested Kirana Hills and hinted at a possible U.S. briefing on the cease‑fire.
*Generated automatically for transparency. Verified for objective reporting.
**Operation Sindoor: Conflicting Claims Over Damage and Leaks**
India’s Air Force launched *Operation Sindoor* on 29 May, deploying a mix of fighter‑bombers and loitering‑munition drones against targets it said were part of Pakistan’s strategic infrastructure. Indian officials highlighted a successful strike on the Bholari airbase in Sindh, describing it as a “direct hit” that temporarily disabled runway operations. Pakistan’s military, however, downplayed the impact, asserting that adverse weather conditions saved the Skardu airbase in the northern Gilgit‑Baltistan region from any substantial damage, while acknowledging limited damage at Bholari.
Former Chief of Defence Staff General (Retd.) Anil Chauhan, speaking to several Indian dailies, said a loitering munition may have struck the Kirana Hills—a site long suspected of housing a covert nuclear research facility—during the operation. He added that details of the cease‑fire that followed the strikes were reportedly shared with the United States, though he stopped short of confirming any intentional leak. Chauhan’s remarks also hinted that the decision‑making process for the operation was “soch ke bahar,” indicating a rapid, high‑level consensus in the days leading up to the mission.
The divergent narratives underscore the heightened mistrust between New Delhi and Islamabad. While India portrays the operation as a precision strike against illicit nuclear activity, Pakistan frames the episode as a limited aerial incursion thwarted by natural conditions. Analysts note that without independent verification—such as satellite imagery or third‑party inspections—both sides can continue to shape the story to suit strategic objectives, leaving the regional security calculus in a fragile equilibrium.
Public Comments Board
Objective discourse and feedback logs (0)