Operation Sindoor: Another Pakistan lie exposed; satellite images debunk claim it hit India's Adampur airbase
Op Sindoor: Another Pakistan lie exposed; satellite images debunk claim it hit India's Adampur airbase (Pic credit: Damien Symon)
NEW DELHI: Since
Operation Sindoor
, Pakistan has been living with fantasies and pushing hard to make the world believe that it won during the conflict against India. With the use of doctored satellite images, fake visuals, and misinformation campaigns, Islamabad has been claiming that it hit Indian airfields and installations.
After the Operation Sindoor, Pakistan portrayed that it hit a Sukhoi-30MKI parked at Adampur air base in Punjab and destroyed an S-400 surface-to-air missile unit at Bhuj airfield in Gujarat. However, these assertions have been systematically dismantled by independent satellite imagery analyst Damien Symon, who has been closely examining these claims over the past month.
Adampur airbase
: The Sukhoi that wasn't hit
One of the most prominent claims involved a strike on a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet at Punjab's Adampur airbase.
The image shared to support this showed a fighter near what was presented as a burn mark.
But top imagery analyst Damien Symon revealed the truth: the image pre-dated the conflict, the aircraft was a MiG-29 under routine maintenance, and the so-called damage was engine soot buildup from testing, not a missile hit.
Bhuj airbase: Phantom strike on S-400
Another image claimed Pakistan had taken out an S-400 radar system at Bhuj airfield in Gujarat. A closer look showed dark patches on the ground, supposedly impact marks, which turned out to be oil stains in a vehicle maintenance yard.
Worse, the image was captured well before hostilities began.
Adampur again: Faked crater marks on S-400
A separate claim involved alleged missile damage to the S-400 battery at Adampur. This time, the satellite image was digitally edited, with black dots added to mimic bomb craters. Comparison with current, unedited satellite images showed no such marks at the site.
Naliya airbase: A cloud's shadow, not a bomb
In one of the most absurd claims, Pakistan used an image of Naliya airbase to suggest a bombing raid had darkened the soil.
Symon's analysis showed the "damage" was actually just a passing cloud casting a shadow on the runway.
Srinagar airport: A hazy lie
A blurry, low-quality image of Srinagar airport's civilian apron was circulated as proof of a Pakistani strike. But high-resolution satellite photos from multiple dates showed no damage whatsoever. The image was either misread or intentionally tampered with.
Chinese satellite firm joins the show
Adding an international twist, Pakistan also released imagery from a Chinese satellite company to "prove" another hit on Adampur.
The supposed "damage" turned out to be a mark that had existed for months, visible in older satellite captures as well.
Jammu airport: Digital fakery exposed
In yet another instance, visuals claiming to show bomb damage at Jammu airport were widely shared. The "blackened spots" near the runway were proven false after high-resolution post-strike satellite photos showed a completely intact airbase. The original image had been digitally altered.
Across all claims, Pakistan has failed to demonstrate any actual damage to Indian airbases or assets in the wake of its attempted retaliation.
In contrast, Indian airstrikes on Pakistani military sites, particularly Jacobabad and Bholari, have been more successful.
"Recent imagery from Bholari Airbase, Pakistan indicates that the hangar damaged in the Indian airstrike is now covered with tarpaulin possibly signaling repair activity/restoration is now underway," Damien Symon wrote in a post on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Adampur airbase shortly after Operation Sindoor only reinforced the absence of any significant damage on Indian soil, a direct counter to the Pakistani narrative.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Gautam Adani visits Chinese equipment makers as US legal woes linger
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani traveled to China last week to meet industrial equipment manufacturers, marking what appears to be his first overseas trip since the US unveiled criminal and civil cases against him in November. The visit, including to a solar module maker, underscores Adani's continued efforts to maintain momentum in renewables even as he faces heightened scrutiny abroad. Sagar Adani , who oversees the green arm of the conglomerate's sprawling empire, accompanied his uncle on the trip, according to a social media post by one of the companies he visited. The trip to China could signal a renewed push for international engagement as Gautam Adani tries to shake off controversies, from US legal troubles to investor concerns about corporate governance practices, following a bruising short-seller report in early 2023. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Prices of Solar Panels Might Actually Surprise You Solar Panels | Search Ads Get Info Asia's second-richest person, along with his nephew Sagar, face criminal and civil charges in the US over their alleged involvement in a $250 million bribery scheme to pay regional officials in India to lock in solar-power contracts. — BROAD_ltd (@BROAD_ltd) Live Events The Adani Group has denied the claims, though both Gautam and Sagar have curtailed their international travel since the indictment was announced. The Indian conglomerate is building one of the largest renewable energy parks — five times the size of Paris — near India's western coast with solar panels and wind turbines. The billionaire visited a Jinko Solar Co. manufacturing plant, inspecting the facility's automated production lines, the Shanghai-based company said in a statement on June 4. Its energy storage solutions are well-suited to India's high-temperature conditions and will be integrated into Adani's projects to bolster grid stability and renewable energy absorption, it said. Adani also visited Broad Group's facilities, the Chinese firm said in a post on X. The company has a range of subsidiaries that includes a wind turbine manufacturer. A spokesperson for Adani didn't immediately comment. The group's renewable energy ramp up plans are crucial for two of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's policy pledges — making the country carbon neutral by 2070 and self-reliant, especially in manufacturing. India is one of the biggest markets for China's solar modules and Adani's visit could also signal room for better business ties between the two countries. While relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors remain fraught, there have recently been signs of a thawing. In January, they agreed to resume direct flights, facilitate visas and restart sharing data of trans-border rivers. A few months later, the nations announced the resumption of an annual pilgrimage to the Tibet Autonomous Region, organized by India's foreign ministry, that had been suspended for years after border clashes erupted.
The Hindu
22 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S., China say they have agreed on framework to resolve their trade disputes
Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators have agreed on a framework to get their trade negotiations back on track after a series of disputes that threatened to derail them, both sides have said. The announcement came at the end of two days of talks in the British capital that wrapped up late on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Editorial: Big deal: On the U.S.-China trade deal The meetings appeared to focus on finding a way to resolve disputes over mineral and technology exports that had shaken a fragile truce on trade reached in Geneva last month. It's not clear whether any progress was made on the more fundamental differences over China's sizeable trade surplus with the United States. 'First we had to get sort of the negativity out and now we can go forward,' U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters after the meetings. Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday (June 11) after the agreement was announced. The talks followed a phone call between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week to try to calm the waters. Li Chenggang, a Vice-Minister of Commerce and China's International Trade Representative, said the two sides had agreed in principle on a framework for implementing the consensus reached on the phone call and at the talks on Geneva, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Further details, including any plans for a potential next round of talks, were not immediately available. Mr. Li and Wang Wentao, China's Commerce Minister, were part of the delegation led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng. They met with Mr. Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace. Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator, said the disputes had frittered away 30 of the 90 days the two sides have to try to resolve their disputes. They agreed in Geneva to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100%-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that sparked fears of recession. The World Bank, citing a rise in trade barriers, cut its projections on Tuesday (June 11) for U.S. and global economic growth this year. 'The U.S. and China lost valuable time in restoring their Geneva agreements,' said Ms. Cutler, now vice-president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. 'Now, only sixty days remain to address issues of concern, including unfair trade practices, excess capacity, transshipment and fentanyl.' Since the Geneva talks, the U.S. and China have exchanged angry words over advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, visas for Chinese students at American universities and rare earth minerals that are vital to carmakers and other industries. China, the world's biggest producer of rare earths, has signalled it may speed up the issuing of export licenses for the elements. Beijing, in turn, wants the U.S. to lift restrictions on Chinese access to the technology used to make advanced semiconductors. Mr. Lutnick said that resolving the rare earths issue is a fundamental part of the agreed-upon framework, and that the U.S. will remove measures it had imposed in response. He did not specify which measures. 'When they approve the licenses, then you should expect that our export implementation will come down as well,' he said. Ms. Cutler said it would be unprecedented for the U.S. to negotiate on its export controls, which she described as an irritant that China has been raising for nearly 20 years. 'By doing so, the U.S. has opened a door for China to insist on adding export controls to future negotiating agendas,' she said. In Washington, a federal appeals court agreed on Tuesday (June 10) to let the government keep collecting tariffs that Mr. Trump has imposed not just on China but also on other countries worldwide while the administration appeals a ruling against his signature trade policy. Mr. Trump said earlier that he wants to 'open up China,' the world's dominant manufacturer, to U.S. products. 'If we don't open up China, maybe we won't do anything,' Mr. Trump said at the White House. 'But we want to open up China.'
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Will eventually come back to haunt you': Jaishankar gives blunt warning after Pahalgam attack; asks 'why Laden felt safe in Pakistan?'
External affairs minister S Jaishankar External affairs minister S Jaishankar , who is currently in Brussels to meet the European Union (EU) leaders, had pushed back against the international media's narrative that the India's action " Operation Sindoor " against Pakistan following the terror in Kashmir was a tit-for-tat between two nuclear-armed neighbours and questioned the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. In an exclusive interview with European news website Euractiv, Jaishankar recalled the October 1947 incident when "Pakistan sent invaders" and claimed that the Western countries were very supportive of this. When asked about the international media's narrative over Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said, "Let me remind you of something – there was a man named Osama bin Laden. Why did he, of all people, feel safe living for years in a Pakistani military town, right next to their equivalent of West Point?" "I want the world to understand – this isn't merely an India–Pakistan issue. It's about terrorism. And that very same terrorism will eventually come back to haunt you," he added. On Russia-Ukraine Jaishankar also addressed why India has not taken any side in Russia Ukraine war . He said India don't believe that differences can be resolved through war or from the battlefield. He further added that it's not for India to prescribe what that solution should be. When asked that India's being judgemental enough by refusing to take a side when Russia is clearly the aggressor, Jaishankar said, "We have a strong relationship with Ukraine as well – it's not only about Russia. But every country, naturally, considers its own experience, history and interests. India has the longest-standing grievance – our borders were violated just months after independence, when Pakistan sent in invaders to Kashmir. And the countries that were most supportive of that? Western countries." "If those same countries – who were evasive or reticent then – now say 'let's have a great conversation about international principles', I think I'm justified in asking them to reflect on their own past," he added. On new geopolitical order Jaishankar said that the multipolarity is already here. Europe now faces the need to make more decisions in its own interest – using its own capabilities, and based on the relationships it fosters globally. 'I hear terms like 'strategic autonomy' being used in Europe – these were once part of our vocabulary," Jaishankar said in an interview. On Trump and India ties Jaishakar said, "I take the world as I find it. Our aim is to advance every relationship that serves our interests – and the US relationship is of immense importance to us. It's not about personality X or president Y.' On India's relationship with China mJaishankar said that any companies are becoming increasingly careful about where they locate their data – they'd rather place it somewhere secure and trustworthy than simply go for efficiency.
