IAF used fewer than 50 weapons to force ceasefire in Operation Sindoor: Vice Chief
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w Delhi, September 2. The Indian Air Force (IAF) fired fewer than 50 missiles and precision weapons during Operation Sindoor to break Pakistan’s resistance and compel it to accept a ceasefire, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari has revealed.
Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit, Tiwari described the operation as a “big accomplishment”, noting that India had initially identified a wide range of targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) but ultimately struck nine carefully chosen sites.
“From the list of options presented, we had a large number of target sets. Finally, we boiled it down to nine. The key takeaway is that in less than 50 weapons, we were able to achieve conflict elimination,” he said.
The Vice Chief underscored the challenges of escalation management.
“It’s simple to start a war, but much harder to finish one. That’s why our forces were activated and deployed with readiness for any eventuality,” he remarked.
Air Marshal Tiwari credited India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) for enabling swift responses and coordinating both offensive and defensive operations. The system, he said, allowed the armed forces to absorb initial strikes and deliver a “hard-hitting reply” that forced Islamabad to step back.
According to him, New Delhi’s directives for the operation rested on three principles: India’s actions had to be visibly punitive, send a strong deterrent message to prevent future attacks, and give the armed forces full operational freedom, while simultaneously preparing for the risk of escalation into conventional war.
Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of May 7, in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Indian forces carried out precision strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and PoK, killing over 100 militants. Among the dead were 10 family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and four of his top aides.
Targets included Jaish’s Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, Sarjal camp in Tehra Kalan, Markaz Abbas in Kotli, and Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad; Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Markaz Taiba in Murdike, Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala, and Shwawai Nalla in Muzaffarabad; and Hizbul Mujahideen facilities at Makaz Raheel Shahid in Kotli and Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot.
The operation triggered four days of intense cross-border hostilities, involving fighter jets, missile strikes, and artillery exchanges, before Pakistan agreed to de-escalate.
