The major action took place between the two sides on the intervening night of May 9th-10th and continued till the afternoon of May 10th, wherein air bases along the length and breadth of Pakistan were targeted by India.
In Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force launched airstrikes on several Pakistani airbases, which also included the Bholari airbase. According to a report by India Today, the moment India hit the Bholari airbase, it housed four “western” fighter jets and a Saab 200 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft. The airbase shares proximity to the port city of Karachi, as it is only 100 miles from there.
Why is Bholari airbase important?
The Bholari airbase is recognised as one of Pakistan’s most important military assets, hosting 19 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), which operates F-16A/B Block 15 ADF aircraft. Earlier, satellite images captured by Maxar Technologies on Tuesday revealed significant damage to multiple air bases in Pakistan.
The images showed damage to four Pakistani air bases: Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, Bholari Air Base, and PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad.
In the four-day conflict, the Indian Air Force carried out operations in a clinical manner, which led to major destruction of the Pakistani Air Force on both the ground and in the air.
The major action took place between the two sides on the intervening night of May 9th-10th and continued till the afternoon of May 10th, wherein air bases along the length and breadth of Pakistan were targeted by India.
India’s swift actions following Pakistan’s adventurism
After India had attacked terror bases in Pakistan on the night of May 6th-7th, including the terror hubs in Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistani Punjab, the Pakistani side retaliated by firing missiles at military targets in India, which failed to leave a mark due to a strong multi-tier air defence system.
The Indian Air Force took the decision that in retaliation, it would first deal with the air defence network of the Pakistan Army, which is deployed along the entire border with India, including old American-origin and Chinese radars and surface-to-air missiles of Chinese origin, including the HQ-9s with a maximum range of around 250 km plus, ANI reports.
The targeting of the air defence network, including Lahore, created major gaps in the Pakistan Air Force’s capability to monitor Indian activities from May 7th to 8th onwards.
(With inputs from agency)
