- BrahMos missile storage facility in Beas destroyed by Pakistan Air Force; believed to be the source of missiles used in India’s earlier strike.
- Udhampur Air Base and Pathankot Airfield targeted and rendered non-operational by Pakistan in a retaliatory campaign.
- Operation Bunyanu’l-Marsous launched in response to India’s unprovoked aggression following the controversial Pahalgam incident.
- Pakistan vows proportionate response under the doctrine of “An Eye for an Eye”; warns of further strikes if provoked.
In a dramatic escalation of hostilities between South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbors, Pakistan has launched a large-scale military operation codenamed Bunyanu’l-Marsous in retaliation for what it described as an “unprovoked and deceitful” Indian attack earlier this week. The operation was launched following India’s strikes on Pakistani territory in the aftermath of the controversial Pahalgam incident — which Islamabad insists was a false-flag operation carried out by Indian intelligence.
According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), precision air and missile strikes early Saturday morning targeted multiple Indian military installations involved in the earlier assault on Pakistan. Among the high-value targets hit was a BrahMos cruise missile storage facility in the general area of Beas, in the Indian state of Punjab. The site was reportedly the launch point for India’s offensive earlier this week.
“The BrahMos site has been neutralized. Secondary explosions confirm substantial destruction of enemy munitions,” said a senior Pakistani military official on condition of anonymity. “It was from this very location that missiles were fired at Pakistani soil.”
The statement added that the Udhampur Air Base — a major Indian Air Force installation in Jammu and Kashmir — has also been “rendered non-operational.” Satellite imagery and local reports confirmed heavy plumes of smoke and secondary detonations at the site.
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Simultaneously, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets targeted Pathankot Airfield, another forward base reportedly involved in India’s offensive. The runway has been cratered, with hangars and fuel depots ablaze, according to early intelligence intercepts and reconnaissance footage shared by Pakistani defense sources.
“All airbases that participated in the attack against Pakistan are under active engagement. This is a measured, proportionate, and precisely calibrated military response to Indian aggression,” said ISPR in its official communique, invoking the phrase: “An eye for an eye.”
Background: The Pahalgam Incident and Escalation
Tensions between India and Pakistan reignited after a deadly attack on April 29 in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed over 30 Hindu pilgrims and security personnel. New Delhi quickly blamed Pakistan-based militants, specifically citing the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad group. However, Pakistan categorically denied any involvement, pointing out the suspicious timing of the attack — just days before crucial Indian elections.
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Pakistan’s foreign office described the Pahalgam incident as a “textbook false-flag operation” orchestrated by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to generate war hysteria and rally domestic political support. Several international analysts also questioned the circumstances of the attack, citing inconsistencies in Indian media reports and the rapid attribution of blame.
Despite the lack of credible evidence, India launched a series of missile and drone strikes on what it claimed were “terrorist launchpads” in Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Those strikes, which resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, were widely condemned in Pakistan and led to urgent meetings of Pakistan’s National Security Committee and the military’s Joint Chiefs.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a televised address on Friday night, vowed that Pakistan would respond with full force. “We do not seek war, but we will not allow our sovereignty and our people to be targeted under any fabricated pretext,” he said.
Operation Bunyanu’l-Marsous: Precision and Resolve
Named after a classical Arabic phrase meaning “The Solid Structure,” Operation Bunyanu’l-Marsous represents Pakistan’s most significant military action against India since the 2019 Balakot crisis. The operation appears to be carefully planned to target only military installations, avoiding civilian casualties.
Defense analysts believe the naming of the operation holds symbolic weight. “It conveys unity, strength, and divine justice,” said retired Lt. Gen. Tariq Khan. “This is a defensive retaliation — not escalation for escalation’s sake.”
The Pakistani military has reportedly activated all defensive air assets, with combat air patrols maintaining a constant presence along the Line of Control and the international border. Early reports indicate Indian Air Force jets have scrambled in response, but no direct dogfights have yet been confirmed.
India has yet to issue an official statement, though emergency meetings are believed to be underway in New Delhi. Meanwhile, panic has spread in Indian border towns, with sirens heard in several areas near the Punjab frontier.
International Reaction and Warnings
The United Nations and several world capitals have called for restraint. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement urging both sides to “exercise maximum caution” and offered to mediate. The U.S. State Department said it was “deeply concerned” and was monitoring the situation closely.
There are growing fears that if the conflict spirals, it could engulf the entire region. Both India and Pakistan maintain significant nuclear arsenals, and any miscalculation could lead to catastrophic consequences.
However, for now, Pakistan’s military leadership insists that Operation Bunyanu’l-Marsous is limited in scope and driven by deterrence, not conquest.
“We want peace. But if we are forced to choose between submission and resistance, we will choose resistance every single time,” said ISPR. “Today’s actions are a message to those who mistake Pakistan’s desire for peace as a sign of weakness.”
Its a Developing story: Updates to follow as the situation evolves.