New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed that a surface-to-air missile site at Malir Cantonment in Karachi was targeted during Operation Sindoor. The confirmation came from Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director-General of Operations, during a special briefing on Sunday evening, May 11.

Malir Cantonment, located approximately 35 km from Karachi city, houses key military infrastructure. The IAF strike on this site was part of a broader operation aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba—groups held responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

Operation Sindoor: Targeted response to Pahalgam attack

Air Marshal Bharti said the Indian armed forces launched a "quick and calibrated" response after Indian military installations and civilian areas were targeted by Pakistan following India's May 7 airstrikes on nine terror camps.

Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian military targeted several key facilities- Markaz Taiba (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah (Jaish-e-Mohammad) in Bahawalpur, Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya facility in Sialkot, LeT’s base at Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala, A LeT camp in Muzaffarabad's Shawai Nalla

“We carefully selected our targets. Of the nine chosen, the IAF was tasked specifically with the notorious training camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke,” Bharti noted.

Pakistan’s drone raids and India’s air defence

Bharti detailed how Pakistan used drones and UAVs to intrude into Indian airspace, aiming at both civilian and military areas. “We were saturated with waves of UAVs on May 7, but thanks to our robust air defence (AD) posture, most were intercepted,” he said.

In response to these provocations, India struck radar installations in Lahore and near Gujranwala. “We wanted to show readiness without escalating—our fight is with terrorists, not Pakistan’s military infrastructure,” Bharti clarified.

He also criticised Pakistan for allowing civilian airliners to operate during the hostilities, calling it “insensitive.” The IAF exercised extreme caution to avoid collateral damage, even at the cost of tactical disadvantage.

All our pilots are back home

When asked about reports of Indian fighter jet losses, Bharti responded, “We are in a combat scenario—losses are part of it. But all our pilots are back home, and we achieved our objectives.”

Bharti emphasised that India's strikes avoided civilian targets and focused solely on terror camps. “We achieved our objectives of decimating the camps. The results are for the world to see.”

He concluded, “Our response had the desired effect. While we did not aim to cause casualties, if there were any, it’s for them to count. Our goal was to hit the target, not count body bags.”