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From damage to aircraft to denying capturing Indian pilot: Is Pakistan accepting defeat to India?
Air Marshal AK Bharti, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Vice Admiral AN Pramod and Major General SS Sharda attend a press briefing at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, India, May 11, 2025. Reuters
The fragile truce between India and Pakistan is holding. No hostilities were reported last night (May 12) along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB), the Indian Army said today.
After four days of military clashes, India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire on Saturday (May 10). However, within hours, Islamabad violated the understanding between the two nations. While the United States has tried to take credit for the ceasefire, India has maintained that there was no third-party involvement.
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As military tensions ebb, Pakistan has begun admitting the setbacks caused by Indian strikes. Here's how.
No Indian pilot captured by Pakistan
Pakistan has accepted that no Indian pilot was in its custody amid the military tensions last week.
Addressing a press conference along with officials of the air force and navy on Sunday, Pakistan Army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that Pakistan did not have any Indian pilot in custody, saying such reports were based on 'fake social media reports'.
His dismissal came after several pro-Pakistan social media handles claimed that an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, Squadron Leader Shivani Singh, was captured by Pakistan.
This claim was debunked by PIB Fact Check on Saturday, which termed it 'fake'.
Indian Female Air Force pilot has NOT been captured🚨
Pro-Pakistan social media handles claim that an Indian Female Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Shivani Singh, has been captured in Pakistan.#PIBFactCheck
❌ This claim is FAKE!#IndiaFightsPropaganda@MIB_India… pic.twitter.com/V8zovpSRYk — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 10, 2025
The IAF also confirmed yesterday that all its pilots involved in 'Operation Sindoor' were safe. During a press briefing, Air Marshal AK Bharti said, 'We are in a combat scenario and losses are part of combat. However, we have achieved all our objectives, and all our pilots are back home.'
Pakistan admits damage to its aircraft
In its briefing on Sunday on 'Operation Bunyanum Marsoos', Pakistan's counter mission to India's military strikes, the country's military admitted that at least one of its aircraft suffered 'minor damage' during skirmishes with India.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said that 'only one aircraft' of Pakistan suffered 'slight' damage during Indian missile strikes, without providing further details.
On Sunday evening, India said it downed a few Pakistani fighter jets. 'Their planes were prevented from entering inside our border. We have downed a few planes. Definitely, there are losses on their side which we have inflicted," Air Marshal AK Bharti said in a press briefing on Operation Sindoor.
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PAF pilot 'killed'
A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilot died during the recent military escalation with India.
Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf, along with four other PAF personnel, were killed at Bholari airbase in Sindh when India hit Pakistan's military targets early Saturday, as per a Times of India (TOI) report.
The base houses Pakistan's F-16 and JF-17 fighter jets, crucial for its southern air operations.
Pakistani media Dawn reported that 31 'people' died after India's May 7 strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
However, India has said over 100 terrorists were killed during its attack on nine terror camps, including the headquarters of Masood Azhar's terrorist outfit in Bahawalpur, in Pakistan and PoK.
'Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters at Bahawalpur (Pakistan) was hit the hardest, most potent weapon was used. Jaish-e-Mohammed was created by ISI [Pakistan's spy agency]. It was an important message by India,' sources told ANI.
Rahim Yar Khan airbase became unoperational
The Indian Armed Forces carried out 'precision attacks' on several of Pakistan's military targets early Saturday after Islamabad launched attacks at 26 locations along the IB and the LoC.
India targeted six Pakistani airbases, including Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian.
Hours after the strikes, US President Donald Trump took to social media to announce a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. This was later confirmed by both countries.
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After India's action, the sole runway at the Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Pakistan's Punjab was declared non-operational for a week, Indian Express reported, citing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) Saturday evening.
As per the notice, the runway has been shut due to work in progress from 4 pm Pakistan time (4:30 pm IST) on May 10 till 4:59 am Pakistan time (5:29 IST) on May 18. The NOTAM said the runway will not be available for flight operations.
In a briefing on Operation Sindoor on Sunday, the Indian Air Force shared satellite imagery to confirm the damage to the runway at the Rahim Yar Khan airbase by Indian strikes. As per TOI, the missile has left a huge crater on a portion of the runway.
Pakistani officials have also reportedly confirmed damage to transport aircraft at Nur Khan and technical facilities at Chunian air bases.
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With inputs from agencies
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