Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos retaliation to Indian Operation Sindoor on May 10 lasted just eight hours with Islamabad desperately calling the US to intervene on its behalf for a ceasefire , after four major air strikes by IAF pulverized the air-bases, air assets and air defenses of the enemy on the intervening night of May 10, according to people familiar with the matter.
IAF fighters launched precision missiles that struck Pakistan four times on May 10 with Rafale-launched SCALP missiles and SU-30 MKI-launched Brahmos missiles taking out the northern air command-control network at Nur Khan airbase in Chaklala in the first strike itself, the people added. The last strike was carried out at Jacobabad and Bholari air bases but by that time Pakistan had folded and was seeking US intervention for cease fire.
The so-called Bunyan al-Marsoos operation that Pakistan launched at 1.00 am on May 10 with the promise of destroying Indian air bases in the next 48 hours as per communication intercepts, lasted only till 930 am as India went in hard against Pakistan using an assortment of air to surface missiles, the people said. The Pakistani Air Force hardly flew on May 10,they said.
India’s S-400 air defence system in Adampur went into action no less than 11 times during Operation Sindoor and destroyed a Pakistani SAAB-2000 airborne early warning system as far as 315 kilometers away deep in Pakistan. Indian Air Force also has proof of its missiles having downed one C-130 J medium lift aircraft, a JF-17 and two F-16 fighters on ground and in the air, they added.
The IAF used both SCALP and Brahmos in tandem so that targets were not missed. During the May 7 attack on nine terrorist camps, seven camps were hit by an assortment of loitering ammunition of Army, Air Force and the Navy with terror factories at Muridke and Bahawalpur being hit by SCALP and Brahmos missiles with precision guided capabilities.
According to the people cited above, on May 10, the Indian strikes took out a Chinese-made LY-80 air defence system using a HARPY kamikaze drone at Lahore, while an Indian missile took out the prized HQ-9 (Chinese version of S-300) at Malir in Karachi.
The Indian Navy was prepared to target Karachi Naval Port on May 10 morning with its armada moving 260 miles off Makaran Coast but the Pakistan DGMO called up to say that there would be a retaliation in case India used Brahmos missiles to strike at the port. The threat for retribution from Pakistan left Indian armed forces as well as the political leadership unfazed but by May 10 afternoon, the PAK DGMO was requesting a no fire pact .