New Delhi: In the wake of a calculated military operation by Indian forces, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Monday that a total of 51 Pakistani nationals, including 11 members of its armed forces, were killed in recent Indian air and artillery strikes.
The ISPR accused India of launching what it described as “barbaric” and “unprovoked” strikes on the night of May 6 and 7, targeting civilian areas along the Line of Control. According to Pakistan’s account, the attacks resulted in the deaths of 40 civilians — including 7 women and 15 children — and injuries to 121 others.
While Pakistan’s military has labelled the Indian action as “reprehensible” and a “violation of sovereignty”, New Delhi has maintained that the Operation was a direct and necessary response to sustained cross-border provocations and terror activity backed by Pakistani state actors.
Following the Indian incursions, Pakistan said it launched “retributive strikes” under the operation Bunyanum Marsoos as part of a broader campaign named Marka-e-Haq. However, there has been little evidence of any significant impact on Indian positions.
Pakistan confirmed that 11 of its soldiers and air force personnel were killed in the exchange. The names released by ISPR include:
- Army: Naik Abdul Rehman, Lance Naik Dilawar Khan, Lance Naik Ikramullah, Naik Waqar Khalid, Sepoy Muhammad Adeel Akbar, Sepoy Nisar
- Air Force: Squadron Leader Usman Yousuf, Chief Technician Aurangzeb, Senior Technician Najeeb, Corporal Technician Farooq, Senior Technician Mubashir
Pakistan’s statement also included routine rhetoric, warning that any future challenge to its sovereignty would be met with “a swift, full-spectrum, and decisive response,” and hailed the fallen as martyrs.
The Indian government has not commented on the ISPR’s claims so far.
Operation Sindoor
The strikes were part of Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7 in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 that claimed 26 civilian lives. The precision strikes targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Conducted using Rafale jets equipped with SCALP missiles, the strikes mark a significant escalation in India’s counter-terror doctrine, signalling a zero-tolerance approach to civilian-targeted terrorism.
This marks the most serious military flare-up between the nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years and reflects a major doctrinal shift in India’s security posture.
