After a longstanding pattern of denial, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has admitted that India’s ballistic missiles hit Nur Khan Airbase and other key infrastructures on May 10. The rare acknowledgement marks a dramatic shift in Islamabad’s usual stance of denial and contradictory statements, especially when it comes to Indian military action. Addressing a public event in Islamabad on Friday, Sharif said that Pak Army Chief General Asim Munir called him around 2:30 am to report the strikes.

Sharif mentioned that the Pakistani Air Force used local technology and Chinese jets to respond to the attack, but also confirmed that India’s missiles hit the key targets, including Nur Khan Airbase. Shortly after Geo News reported Sharif’s comments, BJP leader Amit Malviya also pointed to the Pakistani PM’s admission that Indian missiles had hit Nur Khan Airbase and other areas. He wrote, “Let that sink in — the Prime Minister was woken up in the middle of the night with news of strikes deep inside Pakistan. This speaks volumes about the scale, precision, and boldness of Operation Sindoor.”

Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. A total of nine key terrorist infrastructures were successfully struck by the Indian forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes led to the death of more than 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

After the attack, Pakistan initiated heavy shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as launched drone attacks along the border regions. India successfully intercepted Pakistani drones and launched a coordinated attack, destroying their radar infrastructure, communication centres, and airfields. Following this, an understanding of the cessation of hostilities was reached between India and Pakistan on May 10, 2025.