Operation Sindoor: Pakistan Dossier Reveals India Struck More Targets Than Acknowledged
A new development has added a significant twist to the narrative around India's recent cross-border military operation, Operation Sindoor. According to a detailed official dossier released by Pakistan regarding its own response operation, Bunyan un Marsoos, India struck at least eight more targets than it publicly acknowledged in press briefings after the May 7 airstrikes. This revelation not only reshapes the public perception of India's military reach but also underscores the depth of the conflict that led to an eventual ceasefire.
The dossier, which includes maps of the impacted sites, reveals that Indian Air Force (IAF) jets targeted areas far beyond the originally reported zones. These include cities deep inside Pakistani territory such as Peshawar, Jhang, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hyderabad in Sindh, Bahawalnagar, Attock, and Chor. Notably, these locations were never named during official briefings by the Indian Air Force or the Director General of Military Operations.
This new information significantly broadens the scope of Operation Sindoor, suggesting that India's response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, was far more extensive than what had been initially made public. By not disclosing the full list of targets immediately, India seems to have adopted a strategic silence—allowing Pakistan itself to eventually confirm the full scale of the damage. This approach also effectively neutralized Islamabad’s initial claims of minimal impact and damage on their side.
Earlier reports, backed by high-resolution satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies, had already confirmed damage to multiple known terrorist hubs and infrastructure within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The targets included the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Toiba training centre in Muridke. Other publicly confirmed targets from the May 7 strikes included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal—predominantly areas known to harbor militant training camps.
However, it appears that these were only part of a much larger and coordinated operation. The dossier from Pakistan’s end now confirms what many defense analysts suspected—that India struck multiple key military and logistical nodes across Pakistan, not just the terror camps. The additional eight targets in urban and semi-urban centers reflect a deeper strike strategy, likely aimed at degrading Pakistan’s military readiness and signaling India’s expanded capabilities.
In response to the May 7 airstrikes, Pakistan launched retaliatory attacks using drones and missiles targeting Indian civilian areas and military outposts along the western front. This response was followed by India launching a second wave of attacks, this time striking 11 Pakistani airbases including Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jacobabad. The destruction from these strikes reportedly forced Pakistan to initiate ceasefire talks, ending a volatile three-day escalation.
The Indian military has remained tight-lipped about the full extent of Operation Sindoor. Officials have, however, emphasized that the operation was a calibrated response to the Pahalgam attack and demonstrated a clear red line: any terror activity on Indian soil will now be considered an act of war and will invite proportionate and firm military retaliation. This posture is a clear shift from previous strategic restraint and indicates a new, more assertive national security doctrine.
Defense experts believe that the omission of the eight additional targets from official statements was not accidental. Rather, it was a strategic choice to deprive Pakistan of propaganda opportunities while waiting for their own documentation to confirm what Indian intelligence already knew. This tactic also placed the onus of transparency on Pakistan, further isolating it diplomatically by exposing the real extent of the damage.
The Pakistan dossier now inadvertently serves as validation of India’s operational depth and military efficiency. It also puts pressure on Islamabad’s narrative, which initially downplayed the impact of the Indian strikes. With visual evidence and official Pakistani documentation aligning with Indian objectives, the narrative war surrounding Operation Sindoor seems to be tilting in India’s favor.
Operation Sindoor will likely be remembered not just for the strikes themselves but for the strategic finesse with which India managed public perception and diplomatic fallout. The revelation that India hit more targets than acknowledged also suggests that the nation is willing and able to expand the scale of retaliation if provoked again. It sends a strong message to both state and non-state actors that Indian resolve, when tested, will be met with decisive action.
As tensions simmer and geopolitical observers analyze the aftermath, one thing is clear: the rules of engagement in South Asia have changed. Operation Sindoor has redrawn the lines of acceptable provocation, with India demonstrating both its military might and strategic restraint in equal measure. The Pakistani dossier has inadvertently exposed the full extent of India’s resolve, marking a new chapter in the region’s security dynamics.