Fighter jets of the India Air Force targeted Pakistan Air Force's bases at Rafiqui, Murid and Chaklala early this morning to counter Pakistan's reckless drone and missile attacks targeting civilian areas and military infrastructure in India's western sector.
In a government briefing, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said India's precision attacks only targeted military targets. "Pakistan military targets at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian were engaged using air-launched precision weapons from our fighter aircraft. Radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation base were also targeted using precision munitions. While carrying out these responses, India ensured minimum collateral damage," she said.
India chose targets carefully. The objective was to cripple Pakistan's capability to launch aerial attacks using drones and fighter jets. The attack on these key air force centres has likely hit Pakistan's air reconnaissance and long-range strike capabilities.
Pakistan Air Force Base, Nur Khan
The Nur Khan air base, earlier known as PAF base, Chaklala, is located at Rawalpindi. This airbase is the nerve centre of Pakistan's aerial mobility and serves as the headquarters of its Air Mobility Command.
According to officials in the Indian Air Force, the Nur Khan airbase played a key role in coordinating the cross-border drone and missile attacks by Pakistan in the last 72 hours. This airbase houses a Saab 2000 airborne early warning and control aircraft that is believed to have played a key role in Pakistan's aerial attacks on Indian cities.
Pakistan Air Force Base, Rafiqui
The Pakistan Air Force base at Rafiqui is in Punjab province. It is home to advanced fighter squadrons of Mirage and JF-17 aircraft and is a training centre for missions in Punjab and Kashmir. The past few days have been frenetic air activity involving fighter jets of the two countries and the Rafiqui airbase is likely to have played a key role in Pakistan's aerial attacks on India. Targeting this airbase was aimed at disrupting Pakistan's attack capabilities. Rafiqui, like Murid and Chaklala, was targeted with air-launched precision weapons.
Pakistan Air Force Base, Murid
The Murid airbase, located in Pakistan's Punjab, is the headquarters of Pakistan's drone operations. This airbase houses Pakistan's homemade drone Shahpar-I, and the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci. Over the past two days, Pakistan has sent hundreds of drones across the border. Many of these were unarmed, ostensibly sent for intelligence gathering and to identify Indian positions. Some of them were, however, armed. Most of these drones were taken down by the Indian air defence system.
During today's briefing, Wing Commander Singh said the Indian armed forces are ready and all hostile actions have been effectively countered. "Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military."
Pakistan's reckless aerial attacks follow India's precision airstrikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor, launched to avenge the Pahalgam terror attacks that left 26 innocents dead.
